Thank you to those of you who have checked in on me, to make sure I’m still out there! Sorry this blog has been abandoned this past week and a half. Things have been very busy in my household. The spring cleaning frenzy has set in. Spring cleaning does not really equal interesting blogging, so consider yourself warned!
It all started when I decided to clean out the hall closet. We had way too many towels and sheets jammed into such a small space… some things had to go. Next I reorganized the gift wrapping station in the laundry room. I like to buy gifts year-round when I see something (cheap) that reminds me of someone. It was overrun with presents, gift bags saved from previous presents, and tissue paper (yes, I save that too!). I’m glad to say that the chaos has been reined in. Speaking of gifts, I have done a little thrifting lately in my spare time (though there hasn’t been much of it!) The other day I found an OSU soft baseball and bat, still new in the packaging for five bucks. It was a little more than I normally like to spend at a thrift store, however I’m sure it still would have cost way more new. I’ve also found a little toy drill and jigsaw for fifty cents each. That got the brain ticking… I am going to sew my son a little tool belt whenever I finish finding some more play tools. That way I can tailor the tool belt pockets to the exact size of the tools. I think it will make a good toddler gift. I have a few years to get it done :)
Next up: the bathtub. I had Bathfitters come out last year to give us an estimate to put a shell over our existing bathtub… they wanted over $6000.
I just about fell out of my chair.
For that much money, I would expect to have a whirlpool tub! Needless to say, we passed. But we still have to do something because the grout has gotten really nasty. In our free time we’ve been removing the old grout and caulk so that we can put in new. As we only have one shower in the house, this means that we have to drive to Jason’s parents’ house to shower every evening after he gets home for work. Since we’re gone each night from about 6 until 10, that alone has seriously cut into my blogging time.
Last but not least, as if refinishing the grout and caulk wasn’t enough crap to deal with this week, three days ago we had an ant infestation in the kitchen. Great. Just what we needed. I couldn’t kill them at first. I tried to scoop them up on napkins to take them outside. That lasted for about the first three ants. Then I started killing them while apologizing to them. But by about the sixth or seventh ant, you could have called me the ANTi-Christ. I think I killed about fifty that first day. Then it hit me…. A long time ago corn syrup spilled in the kitchen cupboards and hardened. It was impossible to get off; it was as hard as glass. That’s the cupboard the ants were attracted to, so obviously I had to find a way to get the corn syrup up. I emptied the cabinet and tried prying it up with a screwdriver and hammer. That didn’t work. Eventually I figured out that pounding it with a hammer and turning it into dust did the trick. It was slow going, but at least I got it to come off. Jason also did some bug spraying; we didn’t see a single ant yesterday!
Then to top it off, I got my official RIF (reduction in force) letter in the mail the other day. The board of education approved over one hundred layoffs, and I am one of them. Music K-6 is being eliminated if the levy fails. So besides the fact that I have been busy cleaning and reorganizing, I really just have not been in a very bloggy mood. Please bear with me; I should be back to my old sewing/crafty self soon!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
A No-Cost Wedding
Ok, so it won't really be no cost since my sister-in-law bought the bride a white sundress at Old Navy, however it will be pretty darn close to it. My husband's cousin is getting married with pretty much no money to spend on it, so we're pitching in to make it practically free.
I'm putting my sewing talents to work by sewing a short birdcage veil (hopefully) and a bouquet with things I already had in my stash. I'm not sure if she will like the bouquet so I may have just wasted several hours on it. I'm not sure if I like it myself. It's not quite done, so maybe I'll like it once it's finished. I still have to put in some filler flowers and/or some greenery. Still trying to decide just how to do that. I think I might take some tulle fabric and place little tufts of it in the bouquet. If it isn't a big hit with the bride, I can always give the bouquet to a little girl in our family. She can play dress up with it.
Yep, pink and purple. That's what the bride requested.
I used this tutorial over at Lettie's blog, Polka Dot Pineapple. She is very crafty, so check her out! I changed a few things: I didn't want the center of the flower as big as Lettie's because I am not planning on using these flowers as pincushions. I made the petals 2 3/4 inches, and the center of the flower only 2 inches. Also, since these flowers were going into a bouquet, they needed stems. I used pipecleaners, curled the end, inserted it into the center of the flower, and held it in place with hot glue. Unfortunately, I only had red pipecleaners... not so good for a stem color. I wrapped each stem with green florist's tape. I will then wrap a pretty ribbon around all the stems to complete the bouquet. Maybe I'll get that done this week. Maybe not. I'm so bad at finishing projects.
I'm putting my sewing talents to work by sewing a short birdcage veil (hopefully) and a bouquet with things I already had in my stash. I'm not sure if she will like the bouquet so I may have just wasted several hours on it. I'm not sure if I like it myself. It's not quite done, so maybe I'll like it once it's finished. I still have to put in some filler flowers and/or some greenery. Still trying to decide just how to do that. I think I might take some tulle fabric and place little tufts of it in the bouquet. If it isn't a big hit with the bride, I can always give the bouquet to a little girl in our family. She can play dress up with it.
Yep, pink and purple. That's what the bride requested.
I used this tutorial over at Lettie's blog, Polka Dot Pineapple. She is very crafty, so check her out! I changed a few things: I didn't want the center of the flower as big as Lettie's because I am not planning on using these flowers as pincushions. I made the petals 2 3/4 inches, and the center of the flower only 2 inches. Also, since these flowers were going into a bouquet, they needed stems. I used pipecleaners, curled the end, inserted it into the center of the flower, and held it in place with hot glue. Unfortunately, I only had red pipecleaners... not so good for a stem color. I wrapped each stem with green florist's tape. I will then wrap a pretty ribbon around all the stems to complete the bouquet. Maybe I'll get that done this week. Maybe not. I'm so bad at finishing projects.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
I promise to throw a Green Bridal Shower
Howdy folks. I've been reading this blog, and I must admit that I am feeling pretty bad about myself right now. I am such a consumer hog. I could do such a better job at reducing the amount of trash I create if I just tried a little harder.
The wonderful people at cleanbin.wordpress.com make their own laundry soap, pasta sauce and pasta (tried it before but it's so time consuming... I even own the pasta maker attachment for my kitchenaid mixer but it makes such a mess and takes forever), and practically anything else that you could think of so that they don't have to buy it with all the packaging that comes with it.
I've done some things in this department, but I must admit that I could do so much more. I've sewn bag after bag to take with me to Aldi's when I go grocery shopping, however I need to do a better job of bringing them with me to other stores too. If I just have a couple things, I always tell the clerk I don't want a bag, but if I brought my own bags with me wherever I went, I would feel better. Yes, I recycle the bags that don't end up as wastebin liners but still, I feel bad.
The cleanbin people don't buy store-bought cakes because of the plastic packaging and were saddened when someone brought them one. I'm sure they don't even buy cake mixes because that comes with packaging too. Get this: they even take reusable containers with them when they go out to eat (which they don't do often anyway) so they don't get their Whopper or Big Mac wrapped in plastic which would be promptly thrown out anyway.
I'm feeling the major guilt: we stopped at McDonalds last night when we were on the road, still over an hour from home and dead tired. If I was going to stay awake I needed some caffeine, so I got a McCafe latte and a McChicken sandwich. Trash, trash, trash. At least what the hubby got was recycled (an energy drink in a can from a gas station). I wish I had thought ahead and we could have brought our thermoses (is that the plural form of thermos?) and made some coffee at my grandma's before we left. That would have been a heck of a lot cheaper too.
I did, however, buy reusable plastic spoons and forks for our wedding shower instead of my maid-of-honor buying the throw away kind. I wrote a cute little poem that went along with them so people would know not to throw them away.
But then I think about all the stuff that we did throw away, and I am sickened. The cake came in a throw-away container, as did the big Subway subs. Many of the decorations were one-time-use only, such as the balloons, tablecloths, and the kissy-lips tablerunners (which was actually a thrifted wallpaper border).
I am throwing my friend, T-2, a shower next month, so right here, right now, I am announcing to the world that I will make her shower green. I will dig out those reusable forks and spoons. We'll use real glasses instead of styrofoam. (We'll be using my collection of Coke glasses since this is going to be a fifties themed party). I already bought reusable fifties-styled burger baskets for our burgers and fries, so hasta la vista paper products! I will most likely have to use paper napkins though, to line the burger baskets. *sigh*
The decorations will be reusable. I am going to get some thrifted records and make record bowls with them. My friend, T-3, already made two which she gave me. One can hold the cards. Another can hold the games. If I make a few more, they can hold things such as chips, candy, etc. as long as I clean them very, very well. I'm also planning on having us watch the old fifties version of "The Father of the Bride," and I can use those red and white reusable popcorn containers that my nephew gave us for Christmas.
I could make another bunting (T-3 really thinks I should) using material I already have. I think it would be cool to make one that looks like records, but I don't think I already have any suitable black fabric that would do the job.
I probably won't buy a cake, as she is having two other showers where I'm sure there will be cakes. We can do ice cream malts instead for our dessert, in true fifties fashion. Of course, those will be in glasses that I already own, so no plastic there.
Now for the gifts: I can't really tell people not to wrap her gifts in wrapping paper because it's bad for the environment. Oh well. At least I know I'll be using a reusable gift bag.
If you have any other ideas on how to make her shower greener, please let me know!
The wonderful people at cleanbin.wordpress.com make their own laundry soap, pasta sauce and pasta (tried it before but it's so time consuming... I even own the pasta maker attachment for my kitchenaid mixer but it makes such a mess and takes forever), and practically anything else that you could think of so that they don't have to buy it with all the packaging that comes with it.
I've done some things in this department, but I must admit that I could do so much more. I've sewn bag after bag to take with me to Aldi's when I go grocery shopping, however I need to do a better job of bringing them with me to other stores too. If I just have a couple things, I always tell the clerk I don't want a bag, but if I brought my own bags with me wherever I went, I would feel better. Yes, I recycle the bags that don't end up as wastebin liners but still, I feel bad.
The cleanbin people don't buy store-bought cakes because of the plastic packaging and were saddened when someone brought them one. I'm sure they don't even buy cake mixes because that comes with packaging too. Get this: they even take reusable containers with them when they go out to eat (which they don't do often anyway) so they don't get their Whopper or Big Mac wrapped in plastic which would be promptly thrown out anyway.
I'm feeling the major guilt: we stopped at McDonalds last night when we were on the road, still over an hour from home and dead tired. If I was going to stay awake I needed some caffeine, so I got a McCafe latte and a McChicken sandwich. Trash, trash, trash. At least what the hubby got was recycled (an energy drink in a can from a gas station). I wish I had thought ahead and we could have brought our thermoses (is that the plural form of thermos?) and made some coffee at my grandma's before we left. That would have been a heck of a lot cheaper too.
I did, however, buy reusable plastic spoons and forks for our wedding shower instead of my maid-of-honor buying the throw away kind. I wrote a cute little poem that went along with them so people would know not to throw them away.
But then I think about all the stuff that we did throw away, and I am sickened. The cake came in a throw-away container, as did the big Subway subs. Many of the decorations were one-time-use only, such as the balloons, tablecloths, and the kissy-lips tablerunners (which was actually a thrifted wallpaper border).
I am throwing my friend, T-2, a shower next month, so right here, right now, I am announcing to the world that I will make her shower green. I will dig out those reusable forks and spoons. We'll use real glasses instead of styrofoam. (We'll be using my collection of Coke glasses since this is going to be a fifties themed party). I already bought reusable fifties-styled burger baskets for our burgers and fries, so hasta la vista paper products! I will most likely have to use paper napkins though, to line the burger baskets. *sigh*
The decorations will be reusable. I am going to get some thrifted records and make record bowls with them. My friend, T-3, already made two which she gave me. One can hold the cards. Another can hold the games. If I make a few more, they can hold things such as chips, candy, etc. as long as I clean them very, very well. I'm also planning on having us watch the old fifties version of "The Father of the Bride," and I can use those red and white reusable popcorn containers that my nephew gave us for Christmas.
I could make another bunting (T-3 really thinks I should) using material I already have. I think it would be cool to make one that looks like records, but I don't think I already have any suitable black fabric that would do the job.
I probably won't buy a cake, as she is having two other showers where I'm sure there will be cakes. We can do ice cream malts instead for our dessert, in true fifties fashion. Of course, those will be in glasses that I already own, so no plastic there.
Now for the gifts: I can't really tell people not to wrap her gifts in wrapping paper because it's bad for the environment. Oh well. At least I know I'll be using a reusable gift bag.
If you have any other ideas on how to make her shower greener, please let me know!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Wearing o' the Green, Scarlet, and Gray
Happy St. Patty's Day (there's ten minutes left until March 18... I barely got this post in on time!)
So did you wear your green today? Here's my fam toting our glorious green garments:
I should have sewed something green today, but I ran across an OSU towel at a thrift store for 59c, and you guessed it, it's becoming a toddler bib. I'm on a roll with these towel bibs. They're so quick and easy to make. I'm a lazy sewer. I like short projects that I can get done in under an hour. It's something about the instant gratification...
Below is the bib all finished minus the trim. The gray fabric was a polo shirt of my hubby's that made it to my fabric pile. Thank goodness for pit stains! I get lots of shirts that way :) The fabric on the back was a thrifted skirt awhile back. I love polka dots. They make me happy.
And once again, I can't decide which trim to use so I'll put it to a vote. My husband voted for the white rick rack, but I don't think I like that one. I think I like the red polka dot ribbon the best.
All the trims... aren't they purdy? I like the packaging for the black rick-rack-esque stuff. Below are the four options. Leave me a comment and let me know which one looks the best.
So did you wear your green today? Here's my fam toting our glorious green garments:
I should have sewed something green today, but I ran across an OSU towel at a thrift store for 59c, and you guessed it, it's becoming a toddler bib. I'm on a roll with these towel bibs. They're so quick and easy to make. I'm a lazy sewer. I like short projects that I can get done in under an hour. It's something about the instant gratification...
Below is the bib all finished minus the trim. The gray fabric was a polo shirt of my hubby's that made it to my fabric pile. Thank goodness for pit stains! I get lots of shirts that way :) The fabric on the back was a thrifted skirt awhile back. I love polka dots. They make me happy.
And once again, I can't decide which trim to use so I'll put it to a vote. My husband voted for the white rick rack, but I don't think I like that one. I think I like the red polka dot ribbon the best.
All the trims... aren't they purdy? I like the packaging for the black rick-rack-esque stuff. Below are the four options. Leave me a comment and let me know which one looks the best.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Beep, Beep! Don't be an Idiot
You know how they have those cars that give you a warning if you're about to back into something? I wish my sewing machine had that. That would save so much time and hassle, don't you think?
For example, "Beep! Beep! The fabrics are not right sides together!"
Or, "Beep! Beep! You're sewing that pocket on upside down!"
It would also be helpful when out thrifting little boys clothes. I kept picking up pants that T-3 was telling me actually were for girls. Um, T-3, you forgot to mention that ruffles are for girls!
Oh well, they were 60c, and with a little seam ripping and re-sewing, they'll be fine! But if I had my own Idiot Warning Device, this could have been avoided. "Beep! Beep! See the ruffles, stupid?"
For example, "Beep! Beep! The fabrics are not right sides together!"
Or, "Beep! Beep! You're sewing that pocket on upside down!"
It would also be helpful when out thrifting little boys clothes. I kept picking up pants that T-3 was telling me actually were for girls. Um, T-3, you forgot to mention that ruffles are for girls!
Oh well, they were 60c, and with a little seam ripping and re-sewing, they'll be fine! But if I had my own Idiot Warning Device, this could have been avoided. "Beep! Beep! See the ruffles, stupid?"
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Something smells fishy
After a thorough search, I think I’ve found where that fish smell is emanating from. I found some leftover fish scraps in the dining room.
No, not that kind of fish scraps! Leftover scraps of fabric from a little fish bib I sewed today!
Does anyone have any ideas what I can do with these fishy scraps? I thought I could sew them together into a small (teeny, tiny) pillow although I really don't need any more softies in this house. Joel's room already looks like a stuffed animal factory vomited all over the place.
Here's the finished bib. It started out as a thrifted towel. I was able to make both the front and back sides from the towel; no additional fabric was necessary. The end product is kind of wonky because of the particular stitch that I used when topstitching. Live and learn, I guess! At least I got to experiment with a new stitch on my sewing machine :)
No, not that kind of fish scraps! Leftover scraps of fabric from a little fish bib I sewed today!
Does anyone have any ideas what I can do with these fishy scraps? I thought I could sew them together into a small (teeny, tiny) pillow although I really don't need any more softies in this house. Joel's room already looks like a stuffed animal factory vomited all over the place.Here's the finished bib. It started out as a thrifted towel. I was able to make both the front and back sides from the towel; no additional fabric was necessary. The end product is kind of wonky because of the particular stitch that I used when topstitching. Live and learn, I guess! At least I got to experiment with a new stitch on my sewing machine :)
Sunday Stash & Saving Some Cash
I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve been on a rhyming thing lately. Please excuse any corny poetry that may happen to come your way.
So yesterday was a big day. T-3 and I went out to Gap and Old Navy for “Friends and Family” day, and we each spent a whopping $1.50. I bought a Christmas onesie for Joel. She bought some undies. (Maybe she didn’t want me to announce that?)
Then we went to a thrift store in the ghetto. I guess the best thrift stores are in the ghetto because they had some killer prices on baby clothes. Not-so-much on some of the other things though. Like, get this, men’s ties were going for about four dollars. They must have been smoking crack to think someone is going to shell out four big ones for a used tie (Yes, George Washingtons are “big ones” in my book).
I got eleven items of clothing for Joel for under $6.05 plus tax. I won’t bother you with more pictures because, really, once you see some baby boy clothes, you’ve seen them all. I did get a really cute Brutus Buckeye onesie and a Cleveland Browns turtleneck onesie that I should have photographed but didn’t. Village Discount Outlet, the thrift store we visited today, is my new fav. Yes, it may be in the ‘hood. Yes, I’ll probably get lost trying to find it again. Yes, I was just a bit afraid for my life. And yes, the second we walked in the door, some woman was screaming and cussing up a storm because someone stole her purse, but their prices were so cheap. I told my husband, “I know I’ve hit rock bottom when I pass on pieces of clothes for ninety cents because I think I could do better.” Seriously. There were some things I put back that were under a dollar because I thought they were too expensive. I mean, compared with the long sleeve shirt I got Joel that was only twenty cents, can you blame me?
Here’s two photos. First up, some thank you’s for Joel’s first birthday (90c) and another t-shirt (25c) that’s going to become kiddie-pants. I found them at the thrift store when out with my husband.
Yep, we went to three thrift stores together. I have never been so in love with the man. At the High Street Salvation Army, all winter clothes were 75% off, as were all pink tags (the above t-shirt was a pink-tagged item). I didn’t even look for wool sweaters because I know once I started, I wouldn’t be able to stop. He was showing signs of boredom, although I’ll give him credit, he doesn’t whine or complain or drag me out by the hair. I just might have to go back tomorrow though because I really want to find some wool for felting.
And now, this week’s puny little Sunday stash: two items I thrifted today (99c for the polka dots, and 15c for the surf-board-looking one The latter was 75% off. Sweet!). I certainly don’t need to keep adding to my stash, however isn’t that what all sewers do? It’s a sickness really. Use what you have?! *scoffs*
Speaking of sickness and fabrics, did you know that there is an actual phobia of fabrics? Textophobia is “An abnormal, persistent fear of some textiles/fabrics.” Textophobia sounds more like a fear of high school students using their cell phones to write messages to their friends while in class, at the mall, and driving their cars.
But truly, I think I have textophobia. I am fearful of some fabrics, aren’t you? Isn’t there just some fabrics that you hate to sew? You find them downright scary? You have nightmares about their slipperiness or their thickness? You hate to spend money on them because you know when you get it under the needle, you’re just going to screw up royally and either waste money, or waste time while you rip out seam after seam, or both. No? Oh, it must just be me then.
So yesterday was a big day. T-3 and I went out to Gap and Old Navy for “Friends and Family” day, and we each spent a whopping $1.50. I bought a Christmas onesie for Joel. She bought some undies. (Maybe she didn’t want me to announce that?)
Then we went to a thrift store in the ghetto. I guess the best thrift stores are in the ghetto because they had some killer prices on baby clothes. Not-so-much on some of the other things though. Like, get this, men’s ties were going for about four dollars. They must have been smoking crack to think someone is going to shell out four big ones for a used tie (Yes, George Washingtons are “big ones” in my book).
I got eleven items of clothing for Joel for under $6.05 plus tax. I won’t bother you with more pictures because, really, once you see some baby boy clothes, you’ve seen them all. I did get a really cute Brutus Buckeye onesie and a Cleveland Browns turtleneck onesie that I should have photographed but didn’t. Village Discount Outlet, the thrift store we visited today, is my new fav. Yes, it may be in the ‘hood. Yes, I’ll probably get lost trying to find it again. Yes, I was just a bit afraid for my life. And yes, the second we walked in the door, some woman was screaming and cussing up a storm because someone stole her purse, but their prices were so cheap. I told my husband, “I know I’ve hit rock bottom when I pass on pieces of clothes for ninety cents because I think I could do better.” Seriously. There were some things I put back that were under a dollar because I thought they were too expensive. I mean, compared with the long sleeve shirt I got Joel that was only twenty cents, can you blame me?
Here’s two photos. First up, some thank you’s for Joel’s first birthday (90c) and another t-shirt (25c) that’s going to become kiddie-pants. I found them at the thrift store when out with my husband.
Yep, we went to three thrift stores together. I have never been so in love with the man. At the High Street Salvation Army, all winter clothes were 75% off, as were all pink tags (the above t-shirt was a pink-tagged item). I didn’t even look for wool sweaters because I know once I started, I wouldn’t be able to stop. He was showing signs of boredom, although I’ll give him credit, he doesn’t whine or complain or drag me out by the hair. I just might have to go back tomorrow though because I really want to find some wool for felting.
And now, this week’s puny little Sunday stash: two items I thrifted today (99c for the polka dots, and 15c for the surf-board-looking one The latter was 75% off. Sweet!). I certainly don’t need to keep adding to my stash, however isn’t that what all sewers do? It’s a sickness really. Use what you have?! *scoffs*
Speaking of sickness and fabrics, did you know that there is an actual phobia of fabrics? Textophobia is “An abnormal, persistent fear of some textiles/fabrics.” Textophobia sounds more like a fear of high school students using their cell phones to write messages to their friends while in class, at the mall, and driving their cars.
But truly, I think I have textophobia. I am fearful of some fabrics, aren’t you? Isn’t there just some fabrics that you hate to sew? You find them downright scary? You have nightmares about their slipperiness or their thickness? You hate to spend money on them because you know when you get it under the needle, you’re just going to screw up royally and either waste money, or waste time while you rip out seam after seam, or both. No? Oh, it must just be me then.
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