February 21, 2012 - Tuesday

This "walking" stuff is not all it's cracked up to be!  Jack took me on a 1 MILE WALK the other day... the longest I've walked in awhile.. .and ever since then.. my right hip has been screaming at me!  Wakes me up in the middle of the night... yes... I've been awake since 1:00 am!!  Geese Louise... so I'm going to the massage therapist today... hopefully that will help.  Gotta do something...these long nights are killers! 

Wow did I get alot accomplished yesterday... made my surprise treats for the Saturday Baaaad Girls Club, straightened my sewing room (that in itself was a huge accomplishment), finished some of my "OH MY GOSH" teeny blocks!  Then when I went to cut them down to 2" (YES... I DID say ONLY 2") I made a wrong cut!  Duh... doesn't that make you so mad?  So.. .now I have to make another one of those silly little things so I have enough to finish the project.  ggggrrrrr.... I thought I was finished with those bad boys!

So.. today... it's more of the same.. ... finish up some things on my TO DO list.  Man-oh-man I love crossing things off that list!  YIPPEE!!!

Here's our FEEL GOOD PHOTO for the day.... mmmmmm....

Do any of you watch NCIS?  If you don't ... you should... this man is something else!!  I love it when he gets that little grin on his face during the show.... WOW!!!!  He just gets better and better with age.  As my mommy always used to say... "he can put his shoes under my bed anytime"!  HA!!!  Just kidding... but I sure do LOVE HIM!  And Tony on the show too... and even Tim... he's a cutie patootie and looks even better now that he's skinner.  Watch the USA channel (Comcast cable) and you'll see what I mean!

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I've decided... I'm ready for spring!  It seems like we had NO WINTER here in Jacksonville... the weather has been simply wonderful!  The trees are budding, flowers popping up... people beginning to redo their yards (in my neighborhood) and I'm just over the drab - dead look.  So I decided to show you some sweet 'springy' things !!

Look at this mohair chick!!

Isn't she adorable... I sent this picture to my daughter (Heather)... she makes mohair critters... and I know she could make this.  I just love her!!!  Look at that little tail peeking out of her dress!

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Now...tell me.. is this not the sweetest jar of cookies?  What a fun gift to make for someone!  I don't know about you... but when people hand make items and give them to me... they mean so much more!  Especially being a crafter and knowing how much time some projects take.. it's a true jester of love.  I could bite the ears off of everyone of these little gems ...mmmm.... with a nice cup of coffee... the ENTIRE jar would be gone in a heartbeat!  I'm telling you... I can put away some sugar cookies!

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Then.... I saw these cute little nests and the ah-ha moment clicked in my head.  This is our next treat for the Baaaad girls club.. I'm going to make these and rest them on top of a carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese icing... sprinkled with a little green coconut (looks like grass).  Don't you think they would enjoy them?  I sure would... both enjoy making them and eating them!!!

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Now... this is something I've always wanted to collect... but finding them (really hard) and then having a place to display them is a challenge.  This is an antique candy container.  Isn't it adorable?  I've seen really wonderful Christmas ones... but this is the first for Easter.  They sell for A BUNCH OF MONEY too...especially when they are in this condition.  Look on Ebay sometime... search for "candy containers" under antiques and see what you find!!!!

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Here is a beautiful centerpiece for your spring table.  I would suggest you use plastic eggs in the jar...or after some time your house will NOT smell very good AT ALL!!!! hahahahahah!  Isn't this too cute?  You can put one of those flower 'frogs' in the bottom to hold the stems up nice and straight.  Real.... or beautiful silk flowers ....will work also.

I've seen this same type of arrangement during Christmas...they used beautiful ornaments to replace the eggs! 

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Now this was new to me... When making your pincushions...stuff them with steel wool.  It's supposed to keep your pins sharp!  I wonder why I've never seen this done before???  It's a bit prickly... maybe that's why.  Heck.. it's worth a try!  Ok... I just had a brain explosion.... "emery" that is put in the little strawberry (on the old tomato pin cushions) is used to sharpen pins and needles... DUH... thus we have the same idea with the steel wool!  I love it when a good plan comes together!

Ok... I'm heading back to bed!!!  My peepers are getting heavy and it's time for a little snooze.

Chat with you later....

Gloria

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........................

February 20, 2012 - Monday

Happy Holiday!!  Do you have to work today?  I sure hope not... and you can enjoy an extra day at home with your family.  Today... I have some additional bazaar photos... I just can't help myself.  I feel it's my duty to share these hysterical 'things' (for lack of a better word) with all of you.  The first one made me laugh out loud....  here we go...

This must be the butt of Mother Nature... can you hear her asking the woodland creatures... "hey everyone... does my butt look to big?"  hahahahahahaha!  I LOVE this photo... it's just so funny.

Now I ask you... who in the heck would have guts enough to design something like this?  You just simply wonder where peoples brains are ... don't you?  I wonder if it reclines???  tee hee

These sweet things... I know all of you want a pair!  Maybe they belong to the wife of the owner of Charmin?  Diamonds with pearl studded toilet paper rolls!  Oh My!!  I sure would like to know the history behind these sweet things.

Look at this sweet pooch... isn't he so funny!  What a fun day at the beach he's having.  I sure would hate to clean all the sand off him!  Now.. me.. I've never been a beach person.  I could never understand how people enjoyed .. frying in the sun,  salty and sticky from the salt water, and sweaty.... I don't like to do the sweaty thing.... then we have the sand - that is in everything... hair, blows in your mouth (I hate crunching on sand) in your bathing suit (you know where)... NO... it's just not for me!  My kids LOVED (and still do) the beach... I think that's great!  I, however, stay off the beach to give more room to those that enjoy it.

Ahhh.... do you think he's related to Kermit?  Isn't he so silly?  I can remember as kids..we used to go play in the road across the road from our farmhouse... it had a GREAT pond... FULL of frogs.  We always tried to catch them - but it never happened. Those were such fun days playing in the woods and at the pond... I'll never forget them!  Just being a kid!

This... I do believe... must be a new species of tree!!  It's called the Zipper Tree!!  No... I'm just teasing... it's some one's idea of cool art!  I wonder if that zipper actually works?  It doesn't appear too but you never know!

This isn't funny or weird... I just thought it was a cute, cute bathroom!  I wouldn't recommend you do this in a bathroom in your house if you plan on reselling... however, I love it!  It's so bright and 'girlie' !!!!

This beautiful photo is an actual place in Ireland.  It's called the Round Road.  Now that is an understatement... oh so pretty!!  Can't you just see the butterflies fluttering and hear the birds chirping?  and it's SO GREEN!!!   If I ever get to Ireland...this would surely be a place that would be lovely to see.

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Today - being a holiday - I would love to do nothing.  However, I think that will not be the case.  I have a million and one things on my "TO DO" list and I must work on it today or I'm going to be so far behind... I won't know which way I'm going.  It's laundry, straightening and working on my OH MY GOSH blocks for the collaborative quilt.  I want to get them finished!!!  They are haunting me!

What's your day going to be?  Relaxing?  Busy?  Whatever it is... enjoy it to the fullest!

My phone issue is still an issue... learning how to work all of the wonderful features.  Hey...did you know a chic can talk to you on this phone.  Why is it always a chic?  I want a deep voice, sexy man talking to me.  I'm sending an email to Apple and asking them to make a software upgrade for the next new phone release.  We want MALE/FEMALE options.  PLUS... (I just can't believe this)... the MAP portion of the phone.. you know the navigator?  It doesn't TALK to you!!!  What's with that... all the money this phone costs... the chic can talk to us and tell us when we have email, messages, etc. but they don't have the navigator talk to us?  My Verizon Droid talked to me when using the Navigator system.  That's just not right!!!  I think I'll suggest they change that too!

Ok... I'm over it now!

NO organization today.... IT'S A HOLIDAY!!

Chat tomorrow...

Gloria

February 19, Sunday

Wow... I feel like I got an extra day in the week... I swear it feels like it should be Monday already.

Well... we had our adventure in purchasing our new Apple iPhones !  OMG... Best Buy was crazy yesterday... of course... the day that we decide to get our phones.  We did have an appointment... but get this... we were there at 1:30 pm - guess what time we walked out the door?  Just guess.....

6:15 pm !!!!!!!!!!!!    WOW ... were we very exhausted and excited at the same time.

When we all got in the car... my hubby said... ok guys... THAT TOOK ENTIRELY TOOOOO LONG!  Yes it did!  However, the young man helping us was fabulous and knew his product AND knew what he was doing.  We just had tons of things for him to do... pick our plan... move from 3 carriers to Sprint, fill out all the computer applications, download... whew! 

We were starving and pooped!  We all decided it was just about as tiring as buying a NEW car and we had NOTHING new to drive away in.

So... we all have our new phones and the only one that knows how to use it (for the most part) is Vicky.  I just printed the manual.  You can go to the website and print it for studying.  Even though it's on your phone... you can't read... do what they say on your phone... and still have your manual available.

Ok... now I'm not complaining or anything...but the manual is 32 CHAPTERS AND 163 pages - PRINTED... on paper!  Can you say WOW!  Of course there are chapters that I have absolutely NO interest in at this moment... like the COMPASS, STOCKS... etc.  

My hubby is a "print" man... when I told him I printed off this huge 'bad boy' he was oh...so... happy.  We are each going to work on a chapter and show each other what to do...kill two birds with one stone. 

Isn't it so silly that we have to go to all of this trouble for a phone.  However... it's just not a phone.. it is my 'organized life' ... and now with "Siri" (it's a woman that talks to you in the phone) we'll never get lonely. hahahahahahahah!  It's pretty amazing what this phone does... actually... it's pretty scary!

Ok.. .enough on my phone.... I have things to show you!!  I'll report on my phone progress as it evolves!

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I know I showed you a sweet sheep picture the other day... but I just found this one and I couldn't resist.  It just shows how much everyone loves to be loved... and it doesn't matter who's doing the loving.   Isn't she so sweet.... what a look of contentment on her face... aaaahhh..  Don't you love how her little nose is shaped like a heart?  Just too precious.....

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These are pieces of jewelry from a gals grandmother... she decided to make them into pieces of art to hang in her bedroom...  Aren't they something else!  I just loved this idea and what a great way to be with your grandmother everyday instead of having them stuffed in a drawer.  Especially when you remember seeing her wear the jewelry...that's even more special.

I've always loved antique tart pans.  I have NO IDEA why... I just do!  Then.. they decided to make them into adorable note holders... you could use them for anything... hold a recipe card, photos, use them on a buffet telling what each dish is, name cards at a dinner table... the ideas are endless. 

They took heavier gauge wire - twisted a piece like the photo shows... then drilled two holes in the bottom of the tart pan.  Inserted the two ends of the wire - twisted them together and cut off any excess wire.  Then placed a glob of clear drying glue over the twist to hold the wire solid and straight... so it wouldn't tip or wiggle when you place your tag in it.  LOVE IT!!!

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Now... I don't travel with little ones anymore... but I thought this was something I just had to share with all of you.  Clothespin tags were made for each child... they are attached to the visor.  During the trip... if each child's pin was still on the visor when they stopped for lunch, special place, etc., they each would get a small treat.  If, however, they acted up in the car, didn't share, talked back, etc. (parents set the guidelines) their pin would come down and they didn't get a special treat.  Once they were back in the car... they got to start over.  Isn't that a cute idea?  You could use your imagination and use this style of reward anywhere...even at home. If you only had one child... give them 3-5 pins... if they act up during the day...the pin goes away... at the end of the day... they could get a reward if 1 or whatever number of pins were still "there"... maybe with magnets on the backs of them... on the refrigerator.   Let your mind go wild!!!

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I just found this adorable table runner from Kansas Troubles BLOG!!  Isn't it cute...?  I love the spools of thread.  Here's her Blog...Kansas Troubles Blog     Hey... did I tell you Jack and I are going with Lynn (Kansas Troubles) and Pam (Heartspun Quilts) and their hubbies on a cruise to Alaska??  Yep... in August... and we can't wait.  My hubby has never been on a cruise before,  he's never met Pam and Lynn (or their hubbies) and neither one of us has been to Alaska!  It's a quilting cruise... the days I'm in the classroom... he'll be out playing with the boys.  It will be our first HUGE vacation since we went to Hawaii so many years ago... I can't even remember the year we went!!

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Okay... I'm now off to the paper hole punch process... for my phone manual... I must get busy!  Then I still have sewing to do... of course... don't we all.... it never ends!

Organize yourself today:  Let's just do something easy... (can you tell I'm just about over this organizing stuff... ick!!)  Let's go through the drawer in the kitchen that holds our hot pads.  Do you have some like mine - that are just down right embarrassing to look at?  I ask you... How do they get so darn ugly looking?  It just amazes me... they look like someone has dragged the snot out of them... beaten them up and cooked them to death!  Ok.. here's what we are all going to do. 

THROW THOSE NASTY LOOKING ONES AWAY!!  They do NOT cost that much at the discount store.. or better yet... MAKE SOME... It's so much more fun to cook when you have "pretty" hotpads. 

Have a great Sunday... see you tomorrow!

Gloria