The WEEKEND has arrived... AT LAST!

This has been a rough week but I'm feeling much better and am so glad that it's Friday and our weekend has begun. I did work what I was scheduled this week but there were a couple days where I thought about calling in sick. I was tremendously thankful that I had Wednesday off and with the help of the nap lures I got lots of rest... and boy does my house look it. I'll get it all back into shape over the weekend. After work today I decided to pop into my sewing room and complete that apron for the Down to Earth swap. Here it is...

Side one

YES! It's reversible...

Hopefully my swap partner (Jo) in the UK will like it. I just need to pop a couple of our families favorite recipes into the pockets and then I will get it ready to be mailed.

Once I get the house cleaned up I will start cutting out the fabrics for the pillow cases so that I can just put them through one right after another and have a stack made in no time. FUN!

Sorry folks

Been under weather today. Will be back when I'm feeling 100%

Square pegs

I've always felt a bit out of place in life; never really fitting in like everyone else.  The proverbial square peg in a world of round pegs that fit easily into their place and position in life. But over the years I've found that square pegs actually fit better together - shoulder to shoulder through life never fitting in with the "in crowd" and always three dimensional in nature. Truly unique in their own right and willing to listen to another point of you whether they agreed with it or not. Always able to discuss topics without tirade or tantrum. Square pegs always make the best listeners and tend to always have creative minds. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with all the round pegs - life works for them as they are and they are happy with their lives. But square pegs challenge the World and always ask WHY? HOW? and WHAT? ... "Why does it have to be done that way?"..... " How can we do this differently to make it our own?".....  "What makes your way the only way?"

I've also felt misplaced in time as well... why was I born in the Era I was... why couldn't I have been born long ago. It's like my soul isn't happy in this era in time.  I've always developed friendships with people older than myself - perhaps that comes from being raised by my Grandma who was in her late 50's when she took me in. Maybe it was because my Great-Aunts were some of my best "playmates". I'm not sure. It's not that I am in anyway unhappy with my life now just sometimes... I don't know... just sometimes I feel "out of time."

And this my friends is where my brain goes when my body aches and complains. I will be back tomorrow with a more creative and productive post...promise.

Swap Apron

Yesterday after I got home from work I started working on the apron I will send to Jo in the UK as part of the Apron Swap on Down to Earth.

Traced around an OLD apron and added a half inch seam allowance.

For the pockets I traced around a box of crackers.

I wanted rounded corners so used a bowl for those.

Pocket pattern piece.

OOPS! Marker bled through onto counter top - no worries rubbing alcohol took it right off.

Fold two fabrics right sides together and stack one atop the other.

Pin down pattern pieces through all 4 layers making sure the design is pointing toward the top of the apron. OH I just used one of my rotary rulers and sort of free handed the pattern piece for the ties.

All cut out except I needed another set of 4 apron strings  - 8 total pieces NOT 4; I was having a BAD day yesterday where things just felt muddled in my brain. But it's all cut out now and I've begun sewing the pieces. I'll post more after work today. I am hoping to get this completed and in the mail by tomorrow. I may make a couple pot holders to match as well and pop a recipe or two in the pockets. I love these fun swaps!

Where I found my newspaper pot instruction?

You Tube of course...


The only thing I did differently is I stapled my sides to hold them together.

Before the rain...

Scott and I went for a walk along the river this morning. It was BEAUTIFUL after the rain we had last night and it looks like more rain is on it's way; so the rest of today will be spent inside.

River going by rapidly

wild violet

 I half expected some Mythical creature to step out from behind a tree or come up out of the water.

Honeysuckle

Saturday Doings

I went out into the garden with every intention of pulling up all the turnip and mustard greens that had bolted and were blooming heavy but I just couldn't bring myself to do it with all these wonderful honey bees just working their hearts out happily amongst the blooms...

Scott captured the above shots of the bees - I just couldn't time any of mine right and they all turned out blurry. You can see their pollen sacks just loaded up. Scott asked... "Since they are gathering from mustard greens will the honey taste like "honey mustard"?.... HMMMmmm... something to ponder me thinks.

I stayed out in the garden for about an hour and got 3 of the beds weeded before a huge raindrop hit my cheek and the sky grew dark. So we have 3 beds ready for amendment with some compost and mulch. I did stir up one large toad; wish I had a picture of it as it was the most unusual color, almost red. This is what the garden looked like when I came back in..

In the bed that looks white (that is shredded paper) I discovered that the potatoes I planted that had sprouted in our potato bin have come up and look quite healthy.

They're hard to see in this picture but with the rain we've been getting today I am sure they will grow like crazy. I'll take another photo in just a few days.
Scott and I went to Tractor Supply for some dog food, seeds and starting mix and when we got home we made up some newspaper pots. He did his one way and I did mine another. My method was faster and easier I think as I made more than he did in less time.

During a short break in the rain I looked up and out the window and saw this amazing sight.....

A DOUBLE rainbow! It is absolutely pouring rain now - I can hardly see the neighbors house across the street it's coming down so hard. Makes me glad we are all home and safe.

More fun tomorrow~

Radio Meet and Pillowcases

 Today Scott and I attended the AWA meet in Charlotte NC. We normally take a lot of pictures but this year Scott took one... yep just one of this vintage TV. AWA stands for Antique Wireless Association; we've been going for YEARS! Since Greg was about 4 years old... WOW 21 years. Scott was saying at the meet... "Gosh these people are getting older"... guess what Babe so are we... I suppose he forgot to check the mirror this morning. Scott was able to find the tubes he needed for a project he has in mind and we sold a few things but once it got hot and we started to burn we decided to call it a day; packed everything up and went to Cracker Barrel for lunch. I took a photo as we came into Columbia. The air is so heavy with pollen and we are so glad that it's to rain tonight to wash some of it away.
Once we got home and unloaded we took a nice nap.

Columbia, SC - USA

This evening I went through my "Novelty" tub of fabric and pulled out these 20 prints for the pillowcase project for next months FNSI. I'll post more about this over the weekend as I make a few pillowcases.  Maybe I'll get Scott to video tape me making one or two to show how to do the "Hot Dog Pillowcase" method found at The Conkerr Cancer site.

And that's about "it" for today -Enjoy your Friday Night!

April FNSI

I've gone ahead and signed up for the month of April's FNSI . It will be a group event to help get fun pillow cases to some very sick children. And they are giving away a couple awesome prizes so head on over and read all about them. Sign-up if it's something you feel worthwhile. I'll be using fabrics in my "Novelty" Tub of fabric. I'm sure I will find some fun cottons and flannels in there.

After Dinner "prowl"

Our dogwood tree in the front yard

The Azaleas really putting on a show now.

One of the many Chick-a-dees that feed at our feeders - they aren't a bit afraid of us.

Taken from across the street - I just thought the clouds were gorgeous!

The Flowering Almond is just starting to show it's colors.

GARLIC!

OK... next we got in the car and drove over to where the new houses are going in behind our neighborhood. Scott had seen some white wisteria and wanted to get pictures of it.

White Wisteria up in a pine tree

"I see a train a'comin".....

I spy with my little eye....something to hold the rail in place.

"I spy a gum ball...do you?"

It's everywhere...it's everywhere - lavender wisteria

And we got spotted by Deborah, Sammie and Carol... you just never know who will spy you out doing "weird stuff" like photographing the little things in life.

What do your hands say about you?

Here are my hands...

What are they saying to you?

FUN - to PERK ME UP!

I decided to search out some fun Summer sewing tutorial's to share.

1. ADORABLE romper

2. Reusable Sandwich Bags - I would have to order oil cloth online as no one in town carries it that I know of but these are intriguing.

3. Sick of plastic wrap and foil check these bowl covers out!

4. A cute cap for a boy or a girl you could go crazy with prints for the kiddos.

5. Super quick and easy table runner

6. And a cute Apron and Mits how to videos

I AM GRUMPY!

A Tree Trimmer taking out some tree's in our "woodland" area.

I don't know why... maybe it's the air filled with pollen that makes it hard to breath and my eyes to itch like crazy... or maybe it was that US Marshal arrest raid 2 houses down last night... or maybe it's the tree trimmers that have been cutting on all my shade in the back yard. Whatever it is I AM GRUMPY!

My beautiful Chestnut tree "before" from my kitchen window

The tree worker doing his best to take the top out of my chestnut

I tried for a nap but there really is no way of doing that with chain saws blasting and a chipper grinding away. I have taken a Zyrtec for the allergies and I am relieved the Marshall's caught someone that was wanted in 3 cities.... BUT I need some sleep BAD! I'm glad this is a "short" week.

The tree "AFTER" the trim job all the weight is now on one side AGAIN.

I was offered a promotion today but it would be all nights and weekends and it would be Management and I said, "THANKS... but no thanks". I'm happy where I am and don't ever what the title "Manager" again. I'm hoping to actually cut back on working in another year and do more for my family from home once more. And I am hoping we can move to our land by the time I'm 50... 2 years.