April 20, 2012 - Friday

Whew...what an exhausting day we had yesterday!  It was a full, full, FUN DAY!!!

We ate breakfast (Let's Nosh!) lunch (Crispers) and dinner (Longhorn Steak House) out !!!!  We've never done that before unless we were out of town on vacation.  It was so much fun.  Then we shopped...(Jack...new shoes for Alaska trip, books, stuff for his bicycle....) Needless to say we were tired little puppies by the time we got home.  All was good...

Today it's supposed to rain...so I'm not sure how much bike riding Jack will get accomplished.  Of course...now that he has new toys for on his bike...it's going to RAIN!!!  Oh well.... our yard sure needs it!!

Hey... look at this!!!  Do any of you remember these??? 

I had major flashbacks when I saw this thing.  Here's the deal...we were stationed in Guantanemo Bay, Cuba 1976 - 1979 where I worked at the bank.  We were contracted from a bank in Norfolk, Va.  They had NO MODERN equipment in this place at all.  These... were the calculators we had to use!!!  Now...here's the story... the ships (from the North Atlantic Fleet) would all come to Gitmo for spring training (on the ocean).  Of course while they were there they would be paid by the ship's accounting officer.  They would then bring ALL OF THOSE checks into the bank - we had to ADD THEM ALL UP and process them back into the military dispersing division. 

 Now... let me ask you... do you know how many men are on ships?????  How about on aircraft carriers???  Yep... 3,000 - 5,000 men!!  Do you know how long it takes to add up that many checks on this antique?  Then... if it didn't balance to their total - we had to read off the amounts to another person until we found our error!  Let me just tell you... we HATED it when those ships would come to port!

I was the head teller... I had a million dollar vault!!  Guess how we got the money delivered to us???  Just guess???  (It's amazing...!)  The U.S. Mail!  It would fly down on the mail plane (of course with heavy armored guards) and they would deliver it to the bank.  Now that's what I call a serious.... MAIL CALL!!!

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Do you love old, old glass bottles?  I just think they are so lovely... especially the ones that have all of the decorative cuts and designs on them.  They are so pretty filled with fresh flowers.. .like this....

Go to this link and she'll tell you how to get them sparkling clear!!!  Cleaning Old Bottles

This is what they used to look like!!  ICKY!!!

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Look how they spruced up this simple can... they wrapped a piece of burlap around a painted coffee can..then made a button garland !  isn't it cute?  Very inexpensive center pieces...especially if you get your buttons from a wholesale company!

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Ok...I had to do a little "remembering" !!!  This is ROMPER ROOM - and the magic mirror.  REMEMBER?  She used to look in it and say Happy Birthday to all the boys and girls by NAME!  As a little girl... I could never understand how she knew all of their names!  hahahahahaha!  DUH!

I've decided it would be fun to go on a train trip.  Now.. .I know they probably don't make these anymore... but traveling across the United States may be a blast.  However... I do remember traveling by train while in Italy... NOT a pleasurable experience.  Trying to sleep in the sleeper car was just not going to happen.  Every little town they stopped in (to pick up and drop off passengers).  Do you have any idea how many times they blow that whistle during this process???  let's just say...it's in the hundreds of thousands of times (yes... I am stretching that some...). 

OH MY GOSH!!!  I wanted to shoot that train conductor!  Needless to say..... it's not worth spending the extra money for the sleeper car...there is NO sleeping going on in there.  Plus.. we had to pay to RENT a pillow and blanket!  What's up with that?

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I had to show you this goat picture...it's hysterical.

I can just hear her saying... with her little teeth clenched and that little silly smile... "yes... I DID curl my ears a little too tight!!!!   Hahahahahahaha!!!

Have a super day today!  I'm sewing, knitting and then going to an antique auction tonight!!  Ahhhhhhhh.... life is good!  Thank you Lord!

Love ya'll....

Glo

April 19, 2012 - Thursday

Happy Birthday Honey!!!  Today is my sweetie's birthday... 64 !!!  OMG... in one more year he qualifies for Medicare.  I was laying in bed this morning...remembering when we first met... that was 47 years ago.  I was a "senior" Girl Scout and he was an Explorer Boy Scout.  The two troops got together to learn how to square dance.  The rest was history.  He was so cute... awesome hair (bald now) and the nicest person in the world.  Oh how I loved him from the first time we met.  Isn't it funny how you instantly are drawn to people?  God was good to me!

So... today we are playing... doing a little shopping... probably have lunch out... getting him some fun things for his birthday.... stuff for our Alaska trip... you know... just bein' together!  Tonight we are going to dinner with some of the family.  It should be a great day!

I'm working on more of my wool applique blocks for a NEW wool quilt at Cinnamon's.  It's so cool... it's from Geoff's Mom designer.  I'll have to take some pictures of the blocks I've finished and post them for you.  The quilt is huge...so we picked 16 of our favorites to put into a quilt so it won't be so overwhelming to a new wool applique customer!

Look at this quilt I found.. LOVE IT!!

I don't know what it is about this quilt....but I just love it.  The colors for one thing... I love the mixture of the blue/gray, red and yellow with a splash of green.  Then there is the crispy, white background that just makes it look so refreshing!  Don't you think?  Yes...this quilt could be mine in a heartbeat!  Great design with the inner piecing of the large stars... then mixed with the medium and small ones.  LOVE IT!!

Then... I found this Indian Corn!!!  It's hooked... like a rug!  Oh my.. .I simply adore decorating for the fall - especially with Indian Corn, cute gourds (the little bumpy ones are my favorite) pumpkins (love the white and odd colored ones), berries, and leaves.  What a great way to get rid of small wool scraps too!!  I'm passing this on to my instructor, Katie.  I'll bet she can figure out how to do this in a heartbeat.  FAST project too... I'm into FAST "hooking" projects!!!  (that didn't sound too good...did it????  You get my drift....)

Look at this !!!  I want one of these.  I think this is a wonderful idea for graduation... or how about at a birthday party.  The "birthday person" could wear this lei of MONEY!!!  The second best... is that scrumptious candy bar necklace.  How cute and inexpensive... and something they will surely use... CHOCOLATE!!!

Isn't this a cute way to cut up your watermelon?  You could use any style of cookie cutter.  Wouldn't stars be adorable????  Hey... you could mix star watermelon cuts, little white marshmallows and blueberries together and you would have a refreshing "American" fruit salad at your next July 4th picnic party!!!!!!   Someone should write a book about all the things you can do with cookie cutters... other than just making cookies!  Is there one already?  Have any of you seen one?

Now... I must admit... I'm a lover of pineapple upside down cake.  My mom used to make it quite often ... and I couldn't get enough of it.  That yummy caramelized brown sugar and pineapple juice and butter!  YUM!  However, it's not one of my hubby's favorites...so I can't even remember the last time I made one.  My friend, Faye, made one the other night at sewing... IT WAS DELICIOUS!!  THANKS FAYE! 

Now this is what I call - GREAT Halloween YUMMY MIX!!!  Here's the link for the recipe and supplies!  Doesn't it look sssssoooooo good?  OMG... I love candy corn!!

Halloween Chex Mix

I cannot wait to sink my teeth into some of this!  Hmmm.... I could have it be a snack for the B-a-a-a-d Girls Club this fall.... couldn't I??? hhhhmmmmmm.....

Here's your aaaaaaaawwwwwwwwww picture for the day.  I sure want to kiss that nose!  How cute!!!  Kitties are the best!  (((I sure miss mine.... sniffle....)))

Ok... I'm off to make a fresh pot of coffee....Jack should be home soon from his "guy" Bible study group that he meets with each Thursday morning.... then he gets to open packages!  YIPPEE!!

Have a great day!!!  Make something FUN today!

Hugs...

Glo

April 18, 2012 - Wed.

Hi everyone...!!

Well... I saw 21 Jump Street... what a FUNNY movie... it was pretty raunchy though... you know..that manly sick humor!!  However, I laughed my guts off!!  (it is NOT for children... get my drift?)

Then I had the BEST patty melt... OMG!!  Have you ever had a patty melt from Steak n Shake?  Well, let me tell you.. it was cooked to perfection.  It simply must be the rye bread and the grease...then of course...there are the onions... anyway... it was scrumptious.  Of course... the place was FREEZING COLD!  I'm not sure why restaurants (especially those serving LOTS of ICE CREAM) think they need to have the temperature so low!  Now... don't get me wrong.. .I HATE TO SWEAT or be HOT... but this was simply ridiculous!  It felt good to go outside where it was WARM!

Hey... I was so excited yesterday!!  Guess what arrived at my quilt shop????  (Cinnamon's)  I had been there visiting... was just pulling away... when I saw it!!!  The BIG BROWN UPS TRUCK... pulling away from the shop's back door!  I thought to myself...... "hhhhmmmm.... I wonder if that got their shipment of "Little Gatherings" from Moda?  (we've been anxiously awaiting their arrival).  I'm making that adorable Christmas Quilt (from Primitive Gatherings) and I need the background to get started on my wool applique blocks!

Sure enough... I hadn't gone 2 miles in the car and they called... that Lynn... she's such a trickster!  She told me they just got a call it was going to be delayed 3 MONTHS!!!  Well... I won't tell you what I said on the phone (it was not real nice...just came blurting out of my mouth....).  Then she said... "HA... Tricked You... it just arrived"!  What a boob she is!  So... I turned around and went back and got MY FABRIC!!! 

Now... I hope the pattern arrives today... if not.. .it will be here tomorrow for sure!  Then I will be a MAD-WOMAN.. on a mission... stitching my brains out!  Can't wait!!

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Wow.. .I found some cool things to share!!! 

Now...don't panic on this first one... look at it with an open eye... and creative mind!  This lampshade is covered with yo-yo's!   I know... I know... it can be a bit "tacky"... but think a little out of the box... different colors... to match your daughter's quilt you just made for her bed... there are some possibilities here... don't you think?  I DO!! 

Hey... did you know that if you get grease on your clothes... you can rub it with chalk (it absorbs the grease) and then throw it (clothing...NOT the chalk) in the wash and the grease should be gone?  I haven't tried it... but it kind of makes sense.  Heck...it's worth the effort!!

I loved this idea... of course... there are two things I'm in love with anyway... spindly looking trees and crocks!  How can you go wrong?  Wouldn't this be cute to put together in your house for the winter?  What about on your fireplace hearth... so cool... then you could set antique Santa or snowmen dolls up against the crocks.  I would place some of them on a stool... or some type of riser...so you get a more interesting display at different heights.  Then during the holidays... you could hang primitive ornaments or berries on the trees... too cute!

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Isn't this a clever idea???  Most of the time... I have liners behind my shower curtain... I'm a bit on the lazy side.. and when it needs to be replaced or cleaned (after I've sprayed it several times with bleach water...) I simply buy a new liner.  Don't you hate the smell of them though?  That plastic smell seems to last FOREVER!!!

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What a cool thing to do... to remove water marks on our faucets...use a lemon cut in half and rub all over the hardware...wipe clean!  You know...it's kind of scary what all lemons can do in the "cleaning" world...with the acid they have in them... just think... WE EAT THESE THINGS!!! 

Now... I don't know about you...but I don't use a lot of celery... it's just one of those things I buy for recipes...then I seem to throw most of it away!  Here's a trick from a chef:

Keep Celery fresh for up to 6 weeks! Take store wrapping off, rinse and shake dry of most water. Completely wrap in aluminum foil, keep in fridge crisper and whenever you need fresh crisp celery its there!  Try it!

For those of you that have lots of boys in your house.....  Go to this link and "Anna" will give you the instructions to clean up the bathroom!!!! 

Getting rid of BOY smell in the bathroom

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Hey... do you have plastic ware that is NOT so pretty anymore... the food has colored or dulled the inside?  "Ask Anna" has the remedy for making them look like new again!

Cleaning your plastic containers

Okay... now that I have you madly cleaning your "stuff" (((sorry))) it's time to sign off for the morning...

Here is my "cute" picture for the day... this chicken is either laying an egg... or wants a free ride!  Isn't she adorable???  "cluck...cluck"

Have some fun today..........  I'm going to watch the ALVIN movie with Lexie today!!!

Can you tell I have tons of energy???

Chat tomorrow...

Gloria