Thursday, May 3, 2012

Hi everyone!!  Well...today was an early "rise and shine" day!  Whew... don't you hate it when you have one of those nights when you just can't get to sleep?  My legs were killing me last night...finally fell asleep around 1:30 then woke up at 4:30!!!  How weird is that?  I can feel that nap coming on today!

Did you watch American Idol last night?  Wow... these last 5 are workin' it aren't they?  I love this show... I just think it's great when we give young people the opportunity of their dreams.  It will be interesting to see who stays tonight!!  Here's my take on all of them...

Skylar - love her enthusiasm - love HER!  I think she has a shot at this... plus - she's fun on stage and REALLY wants to win.

Josh - He is fantastic - not my type of music... but wonderfully talented.  He's so laid back..doesn't act excited when they talk to him... so quiet... I don't know... does he want to win?

Phillip - I don't think he did well last night (personally)... I think he may be in trouble

Hollie - I love this girl...she can sing the phone book.  She's getting better at letting go and may have a shot at the final 3

Jessica - she sings great...just not my favorite.  Songs are too old for her...she just doesn't carry the fan base. 

My predictions for the final 3 - Skylar, Josh and Hollie !!!  Final two - Skylar and Josh

Let's see how I do... I've picked the winner EVERY TIME!  The next few weeks should tell!

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Look at this funny picture!!!  HA!!!  This is what happens when you swallow too much BUBBLE GUM!!!  Isn't this a hoot?  !!! 

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I love this idea (even though this photo is not too appetizing!).  You know sometimes when you get splinters that you JUST can't get out.... well... they are saying to make a paste from baking soda - place it on top of the splinter area - and cover with a band aid for a day...!  Your skin will puff up  - thus pushing the splinter to the top - easier to grab with tweezers.  Now I'm not sure if this works or not... but what the heck...it's worth a try!

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One of the fun challenges I've given the gals in the B-a-a-a-d Girls Club is to make a cover for a small notebook I've given them!  We're going to put them on display and THEY will vote for the one they all like the best.  The winner is getting a surprise!!!  Take a look at this sweet thing I just found on Pinterest.  Isn't it adorable.  You MUST love birds and their sweet nests...so cute!

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Look what my sister sent me!!  It's a cool way to do your connecting corners on your blocks - WITHOUT - DRAWING A LINE!!  Place a piece of tape (painters tape works great) from the needle position out - onto your acrylic table - or your sewing machine cabinet.  Place your square as shown below - being sure to match the point of the corner closest to you to the edge of the tape.  As you sew your LINE - KEEP YOUR EYES ON THIS AREA  -  NOT on the needle.  Follow that point the entire distance through the needle and you will have a perfect line EACH TIME!  Do you know how much time this saves you when piecing a quilt?  OMG!!!  I use this method all the time.  I have a line drawn (permanent market) on my acrylic table.

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Hey.. look... remember the cabinet yesterday?  This one is covered all the way around with fabric!  Now I must admit...this is pretty darn ambitious... too much for me!  I can honestly say that I would not have the patience to do this.  I just know myself... nope... not for me.  However, I do think it's adorable.  I think I would rather spray paint the outside an adorable matching color and just cover the front panels.  That's more my speed!

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Look at this cute, cute snowman!  He's made from different size fish tanks.  This would be fun to make with your kids...dont' you think?  What a great idea for a display piece in a PET STORE!!  If you know of anyone that works in one....print this photo and take into them.  What  a fun conversation piece when you walk into the store and see this!  BETTER YET... make an entire front window from these sweet things...sitting in fake snow... maybe with a snow machine going overhead? 

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I found a site that helps with keeping foods fresh once you have them home from the grocery!!

They say if you separate the bananas when you get them home (from each other) it slows down the ripening process. Do they last that long in your house?  Not in mine!  Of course we may only buy 3-4 at a time too!!

Then we have the lettuce.....

Wash and let drain - then wrap in plain white paper towels and place in the crisper section of your refrigerator.  It will last twice as long from leaving it in the plastic wrap!!!  So Cool!!

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Then...let's talk ice cream !!!  If you happen to have a freezer that LOVES to  put freezer burn on your ice cream (I burst out laughing on this one...they surely don't have a JACK living in their house...he can put away some ice cream) - here's the trick.  After you've opened it the first time (and assuming you have some ice cream left in the container) place a piece of saran wrap tightly over the top of the ice cream..lay it right on top of it.  Then seal with your lid.  This is supposed to prevent freezer burn. (not that I've ever seen any freezer burn on ANY ice cream in MY freezer...ha!  It just doesn't last that long...get my drift...)

Okay...those are my FUN things for the day.  I'm sewing with the girls today... then tomorrow I'm packing my suitcase and will be heading to the Sarasota area!!  I'm helping Maryellen (Red Crinoline Quilts) and Paula with their new Block of the Month shop kits.  We are cutting, folding, and preparing for the orders they will receive at market in just a couple weeks.  It's beautiful.... made with Paula's new line of fabric.  For those of you that were at our last Camp Blanding Retreat... it's the one they had on the design wall... GORGEOUS!!!

So... needless to say... for the NEXT week...there will be no posting from me!  Sorry... I'm on their time and I'm all in with working... so you'll get a break from me for awhile!!!

Chat with you tomorrow....

Gloria

May 2, 2012 - Wednesday

Hi everyone!!  What a great morning.... however, I just can't seem to get awake.  I swear I could crawl back under the covers!  However, that's not in the plan for the day.  Actually... not much is!  Ahhhh... a day of doing nothing and FUN things at the same time.

I did "Google" May Day... it's a spring holiday...originated from other countries.  So know I know!

Today we get to check in (on line) for our Alaska Cruise.  I'm so excited...so is Jack.  We get to cruise, quilt, eat... what fun.  Now I have to remember where in the heck I put my passport...hhhmmm....

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Just a few more days until Spring Quilt Market - in Kansas City!!  I love that market...it's so awesome and so is the city.  Spring market is so great...so many new designers and new ideas to see !  It makes me so "happy" and motivated that I'm on overload when I come home! 

Look at the new design Lisa Bongean - Primitive Gatherings will have in her booth!  It has wool pumpkins on it.  Reminds me of the one I did for the Primitive Quilts & Projects magazine sometime ago with the cat....

We are in the process of finishing up this pattern so it can be sold on our website!!

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Here is something I think is so cool.... old fashioned bread boxes...especially the plaid ones.  Isn't this adorable how they've taken this cute green one and planted herbs in it?  You possibly could even set the little pots of herbs inside the tin box and not have to worry about replanting.  I just think it's wonderful!!  There is just something about "galvanized" that I really like!  Strange huh?

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Look how they have taken this beautiful blue and white quilt and made it into a headboard.  How perfect is this... the little pillow to match on the bed is perfect.  Then they added the little blue and white pictures above the headboard... perfect!!

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This is a settle bench... here's the story about them... .at least what I've heard.  They are called the 'settle bench' because when there were differences in the family between two people...they had to set on the bench and discuss everything until it was "settled".  Also... the settle bench was used with the Amish (this is all "hear say" so I'm not sure if it's true or not...) in courting.  If a young girl in the family was being courted by a boy...they would come to the house.  They would set in the settle bench while the parents talked to the boy... usually the bench was by a window.  During the conversation if the father did not care for the young boy... he would open the window for the chilly breeze to enter... over the tops of their shoulders... thus giving the daughter the "sign" - of the "GIVING HIM THE COLD SHOULDER" - we don't like him!  Now... I have NOT researched this story for it's accuracy... but I think it's pretty - darn - clever if it is!

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LOOK AT THIS !!!

If you search online for ways to remove oil stains, you'll come across all kinds of things. One of the most common suggestions I've come across from "experts" is to use a brick to grind cat litter into the concrete. This does absorb wet oil on the top of the concrete, but it doesn't really get rid of the stain.

The best solution is cool product called Pour-N-Restore. It goes on as a liquid and dries into a powder. The company's website claims that the product soaks into the concrete and pulls up embedded oil stains, capturing them in the dry powder. Whatever it does, it works! I've used it several times on my driveway and I can't even tell where the stains were.

Another cool thing about this product is that you're not rinsing oily slime off the driveway into the grass or down a drain. Pour-N-Restore holds the oil in the powder, so you just sweep it all up. The back of the label also states that it's biodegradable and phosphate-free.

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Ok ... that's all for the day... I'm movin' on to my daily chores and some sewing!!  Yippee!!!

Hope you have a great day and ... HAVE SOME FUN!!

Chat tomorrow...

Gloria

May 1, 2012 - MAY DAY!!!

Happy May Day everyone...!!  I never really understood this day...dancing around a May Pole.. I'll have to GOOGLE that and see what the deal is!

I'm running late today!  I was awake at 4:30 am and told myself... DO NOT GET UP!!  So I didn't and fell back to sleep and woke up at 7:00!!  That is very unusual for me...so I feel like I have HOURS wasted. 

The Pinterest program decided to be a little stubborn this morning...so I couldn't get much for you.  Just as I would PIN something... or try to move it to my blog...the system would go down!  ARG... very frustrating.

I did find this beautiful "granny square" throw!!!  One of my friends (Susan) was making one the other day and it just put a bug into me... (like I have time to do this).  So.... I've just been collecting patterns and someday it may come to life!

Now... I'm normally not a fan of this type of throw...but I think the colors are beautiful.  I want to use pale colors tooo... to match my new quilt on the bed.  aaaahhhh... someday!!!  Susan... don't you love this?  It looks JUST LIKE YOU!!!

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Then... look at this sweet little fellow!!  He's made from wool roving!!  Am I NOT the most adorable bunny????  Heather... can you make this sweet little fellow? (I know you can!)

I love his little nose... the way they've made it a different color... so precious!

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Look at these yummy potatoes!!!  OMG... I love potatoes !  Unfortunately they are full of carbs and I'm trying to stay away from them (darn it anyway).  However... I may just have to make these and try a couple of slices.  They simply look too scrumptious to pass up.  Here's the recipe!

2 large potatoes, scrubbed

 3 Tbsp olive oil

 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

 1 tsp salt

 4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

 Slice potatoes into very thin slices (1/4 inch). big ziploc bag to coat the potatoes. Toss potatoes with olive oil, Italian seasoning and salt in a ziplock bag to coat.  Place in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 450 for 15 -20 minutes, until lightly brown.  Top with Parmesan cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes.

I could go for some of these right now... sprinkled with some green onion and a little dab of sour cream... oh my!!!  (my stomach just growled....)

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Hey...check out this rug!!  I LOVE IT!!  Now... this is something else.  Isn't it cool?  I wonder where in the world they got the material for this thing? I went to the site and it's from Etsy.. .a long time ago.  Has anyone ever seen yarn like this (I guess it's some type of yarn)  I wonder what size hook they had to use!!!  WOW!!!!

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Okay... I give up posting pictures... the computer is just not cooperating today and I'm about to pound it with a hammer.  So... instead... I'm off to the shower and getting my sewing room ready for a busy day.  My girlfriend, Merryanne, is coming to sew today and then we're having lunch out somewhere.  YUM... 

Have a super day and we'll hope tomorrow will be a better day for posting!

Make some stitches today!

Gloria