Irritants

It's Monday--or at least it WAS Monday up until an hour and a half ago. And I'm irritated.

For the past couple of days, mosquitos have been feasting on my blood. I haven't really seen them or felt them, but I've ended up with itchy, red bumps all over my legs and feet. ARGH! Last night when I was doing a little housecleaning, I found one lurking under the toilet seat. I'm certainly grateful to have found him before he found me! After all, it's one thing to scratch one's leg in public but quite another to scratch one's behind!

I seem to have suffered more than usual with allergies this year. Earlier today, though, I was thinking that I was finally feeling less congested and stuffed up. All that changed when I came home from work tonight. I think I'm probably allergic to Hubby. Or something around here.

Tonight I was quilting a border and then sewing on the binding of a quilt. I really, really wanted to get the binding on tonight, so I could take the quilt to work tomorrow and work on hand stitching the binding down during my lunch hour. I got about 2/3rds of the binding sewn on when I felt a fold in the backing. I flipped it over and found TWO folds in slightly different sections! ARGH! How does that happen when you have it pinned? I think that's one of those mysteries of quilting! And, of course, that meant spending quite a bit of time taking out the quilting, changing feet on the sewing machine, re-quilting, yada, yada, yada. Then I thought I wasn't going to have enough binding prepared, but I just made it with what I had. WHEW! If one more thing had gone wrong, I think I would have just fallen on my seam ripper.

Now it's bedtime. WAAAY past bedtime. I sure hope tomorrow's a better day. I sure hope the mosquitos don't find me while I sleep!

A Little Inspiration

One of the great benefits of Blogland, besides "meeting" so many great bloggers--and non-bloggers as well--is the inspiration we share with one another. With that in mind, I thought I'd give you a link to a blog I came across today, Hop Hop Jingle Boo. Mamaspark had emailed me about the papier mache Dress Up Squirrel I bought at the quilt shop the other day (photo above)--she thought she just might need to have one and asked for some information. When I was looking online, I came across the blog of the artist, Debra Schoch.

Right now, Debra's blog's all dressed up for Halloween, and I love her decorations. I think some of her floral arrangements are particularly "do-able." I saw the floral Chinese Lanterns at JoAnn's last time I was there and thought they were great, but I couldn't quite see in my mind how I'd use them. Now I know! And now I'm planning a trip back to JoAnn's during my lunch hour tomorrow. And a stop at Michael's on the way home, I think. No, not just for floral stuff--I already needed to pick up a few things anyway--but now my list has gotten a bit longer! If you're not quite in the mood for Autumn yet or if you want some inspiration--or just a little eye candy--check out Debra's blog.

As we all know by now, I'm inspired by magazines too--too inspired maybe since I purchased one I already subscribed to! So I had a little giveaway this weekend for the "extra," and I've drawn a winner: Chris in Sacramento! Chris doesn't have a blog, but I know she reads mine fairly regularly. Chris also belongs to one of my quilting groups. [Chris, if you're going to be at the Thimbleberries meeting, I'll bring the magazine then; but if not, email me your address and I'll put it in the mail to you.]

Sadly, the weekend has come to an end and it's back to work tomorrow. I hope you've enjoyed your weekend as much as I enjoyed mine! Thanks for stopping in to visit!

Play Time!

Today was spent playing with crafty stuff. I started out cleaning up the Sweat Shop, and before I knew it, I was looking at magazines and thinking about the Halloween and Autumn crafts I had planned. So, . . . yeah . . . that's what I ended up doing. No housecleaning (but then I think it was Michelle who said I do too much of that anyway!), no quilting (despite the fact that was my original intention today), and no cooking (because I hit a couple fast food restaurants when I made a quick run for supplies--tinted glaze at Home Depo [didn't have any] and milk, ice cream, cat food, and Halloween candy at the grocery store [because I have a fine understanding of what's truly important when it comes to food!]).

So, here's what I did today when I should have been doing other stuff.

A-U-T-U-M-N. I actually applied the papers to these letters about a week ago, but they looked pale and anemic. An aging glaze would have worked well, but Home Depot apparently doesn't carry it anymore, so I mixed up a couple potions and went to work. I'm happy with the way they turned out. I think these will probably end up on the mantle in the living room. They'll really stand out nicely against the golden yellow walls.

A folk arty sort of black cat. This wasn't something I had planned to make, but somehow it came about. He might look good with those mouse shape cut outs I bought a week or two ago! Yes, the poor thing only has one front leg, one back leg, and one ear, but an anatomically correct cat was beyond my impulsive creativity. Do you have any ideas for a name for this guy? Every cat should have a name!

If you'd like to make something similar, just draw out a reasonably cat-shaped pattern (freezer paper works nicely because you can iron it onto the fabric), layer two pieces of fabric, right sides together, and attach the pattern (either iron on the freezer paper or pin pattern to fabric). Cut around the shape leaving roughly 1/4" for the seam. Stitch around the outside leaving an opening for stuffing. Clip seams at curves and points and turn right side out. Stuff tightly with poly batting and stitch opening closed. I added button eyes, embroidery floss whiskers, and a ribbon. Oh, and make your cat pattern larger than you think your cat should be because the roundness of the body will make the overall shape smaller. A mouse would be fun too!

Finally, a mishmash of jars salvaged from the garage and decorated to hold Halloween candy. The tall jar is empty for the time being, but I think it's destined to hold black licorice. (This is why I needed the Halloween candy from the grocery store.) All are placed on my shoplifted leaded glass thing (ARGH!). And behind the jars? One of a trio of louvered tri-fold shutters I found at the thrift shop a couple months ago. I've been driving them around in the trunk of my car instead of trying to find a place to keep them in the house, but it was time to take them out and wash them down today. I have decorating plans for these babies!

Did you see my little magazine giveaway? Yes, I found I had purchased a magazine I already subscribed to. In my defense, when I saw it in the store, I thought I must be mistaken about my subscription since it hadn't come. Two days later, and I had two. So if you want it, live in the US, and haven't entered yet, head on down to the next post tout de suite. I'll draw a winner Sunday night.

A Quick Little Giveaway

Does anyone want this magazine? I've ended up with two--my bad! There's some really good stuff in here. I'll draw a winner Sunday night and get it mailed Monday if the winner sends me a mailing address fast enough. US only on this one please. Just leave a comment, making sure not to tell me how dumb I am for getting two of the same magazine, and I'll put you in the drawing! LOL!

A Little Thrifting

The weekend is here, and what better way to start it off than with a quick stop to hunt for treasures on the way home from work? Well, maybe a mojito would have made a more suitable beginning, but as there were no mojitos on the horizon, the next best thing was a stop at the local Goodwill store. And no, before you ask, I did not shoplift anything on this trip!

I've been on the lookout for a child's tea set for quite some time, so I was quite pleased to find this small Christmas set.

And a party apron. The crochet-edged handkerchief in the pocket called out to me. No, I really can't imagine wearing this or even hanging it on my kitchen hooks, but it was too pretty to leave behind. Well, maybe I COULD imagine wearing it after a mojito or two. Maybe naked in high heels. Except Hubby would probably just laugh, and laugh, and laugh, and then I'd have to kill him. So maybe I'll just stick to drinking mojitos wearing "normal" clothes. Like sweats and a T-shirt. Or a flannel nightgown.

The fun part of thrifting is the imagination and fantasy involved. Spinning stories around found treasures. Thinking about how to use or display "vintage" finds. Turning tired old things into something new with a little paint and creativity.

If you've never been thrifting or haven't gone for awhile, and you find you have a little free time this weekend, give it a try. And if it doesn't work out for you, go buy yourself a mojito. Or two.

And while you're at the thrift store, remember to keep your eyes open for Halloween decorations and potential costumes. Halloween's not too far away, and you never know when you might need to dress up in an apron and high heels! Go ahead: Live the fantasy! After all, that's what weekends are for.

A Couple Things . . .

Remember this little restaurant I talked about back in May? I loved the originality of the "artwork" gracing the building's exterior.

Well, I'm sad to say that about a week or so ago, the windows were boarded up and yesterday, on my way to work, I saw paint crews painting over the building. Here's how the same view of the building looked tonight.

There seems to be notice of an application for beer and wine--or maybe alcohol--sales posted outside, so presumably it will reopen, but I'm afraid it won't have the same wonderful character. I never did stop there and try the food. I think the problem may have been that it was only open for breakfast and then lunch or dinner on weekends only, and most of us commuters passed by on weekdays. I have to think that if it had been open for dinner and takeout on weekdays, it would have been much more successful. Once again, though, it's returned to a plain, boring, old box of a building. I'll keep you posted on what happens if the new owners/operators do anything to make it more interesting.

Laurie, I know you left a comment on my blog the other day and said you had emailed me, but I never did get your email. I'm guessing there's some kind of incompatibility between our computers or something. Here's an idea: Pick any one of my older posts--you have a whole lot to chose from!--and leave a comment with your mailing address. Your comment will make it into my email and I'll go back and delete your comment from my blog once I get the address. That way, you won't have a bunch of blog readers showing up at your house, expecting you to cook them a Susan Branch dinner!

Finally, I thought I'd share with you a few photos a friend sent me. I think some people have too much time on their hands!

The weekend is almost here! Wooo-hoo! If you're looking for a Day of Beauty treatment, how about this one:

Thanks for visiting!

A Day Can Make a HUGE Difference!

Here's the illustrated story of my life over the past day. This is how I was feeling yesterday.

Kinda down. Kinda tired. Who knows why. After work, I changed into a T-shirt and an old pair of pants. This is what the back of the T-shirt said:

It seemed to reflect my mood. Here I am this morning. Running a couple minutes late to work and stuck in traffic behind a stopped school bus. Figures. Do you notice there are absolutely NO KIDS to be seen? We were all stopped for quite awhile waiting for the invisible kids to cross the street. Wouldn't want to run over invisible kids!

Then the turkeys arrived. When the turkeys come for you, you know you're in trouble.

I think these are three of our clients. I told Girl Boss that there were clients outside, asking that she prepare a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to prohibit the consumption of turkey on Thanksgiving.

Then came the end of the work day, a trip to the quilt shop, and the monthly Jo's Little Women Club meeting. Ahhh! Seriously, they don't call it retail therapy without reason!

A few fat quarters to add to the pink and brown "someday" quilt. Then . . .

THEN! Sale fat quarters. 20 for $20. Score! Just about this time, I started to smile again.

And how can you say no if a Halloween squirrel wants to come home with you? Yep, I'm easy--just buy me a few things. Still, I'm not cheap! Then, to top things off, there was the new season premiere of these guys--my favorite Roto Rooter dudes:

Ghost Hunters! An excellent episode too by the way. Most excellent! So, by the end of the evening, I was feeling like this.

I hope you're dancing with Snoopy too!

I'm Sick of Cooking!

Okay, enough with the cooking! It's definitely time for a break.

Takeout turkey cran sandwich. And I've gotta get rid of this darn tempting Susan Branch cookbook before I go nuts again and start cooking more. Right now, we have so many leftovers, I think we could eat for a week without me cooking more, although tonight I rebelled against even doing any reheating.

So, where am I going to send this cookbook? It's a funny thing, but it seems the Boy Child turns up every time I need someone to pick a number. Or maybe he just read my blog and knew I had a lot of food here. In any event, the Boy Child came by tonight, and I asked him to pick a number between 1 and 36, and this time he picked number 29.

I should mention that not everyone who commented wanted in on the drawing, and I had a couple direct emails asking me to include them, so the winning number may not match up with the comments. The winner is . . . drum roll, please . . .

LAURIE! Laurie is a "noreply-comment" blogger, so I'll need Laurie to email me directly and provide me her snail mail address. Here's what Laurie had to say:

"My motto is that you can never have too many cookbooks.. but then again that goes for fabric also.. [Editor's note: Exactly! A gal who thinks the same way I do!] Please enter me in the drawing for the cookbook. Do you come with it to cook some of the recipes for me? [Editor's note: HA! Notta chance! Well, unless you live somewhere I'd like to visit for awhile, and then you might not get rid of me. Especially if I like your stash of fabric.]"

Laurie, you can click on my profile and then click on email and send me a direct email. Congratulations! And thanks to the rest of you for visiting me and entering my little giveaway!

The Party's Over

The long weekend is over--boo hoo! But I've managed to get three of the four basket corners appliqued on the Bouquets of Kisses quilt and I've got holes in my fingers and rough skin to show for it too! I guess I'll need to give them a rest for a couple days before I tackle that last corner.

We had a little excitement here today when Hubby opened the garage door to make a run to Home Depot and two black pups ran in. I tried to get some photos but they didn't turn out well--it's not easy trying to keep two puppies in frame! After learning that none of the animal shelters were open today, Hubby went around the neighborhood knocking on doors. He found someone who recognized the pups and was able to take them back to their home.

On the cooking front, I made phyllo encased chicken breasts and a zucchini and apple dish for dinner, both from the Susan Branch book. And yep, I took a photo, but it didn't really come out very well either. BUT I DID make one of her other recipes, Lemon Noodles, about a week ago, so I'll show you a photo of that one.

Her recipe called for spaghetti noodles, but I thought fettucini would be nice--and it was!

In fact, I thought I'd serve the leftovers another night, but Hubby had other ideas--before I could serve them for dinner, he had eaten the rest for his lunches!

It's time for bed since I have to wake up and get ready for work in the morning. Don't forget to leave a comment on my giveaway post if you haven't already--I'll be drawing a winner tomorrow night. I'm glad you could stop by!

Lazy Sunday

I've spent a somewhat lazy Sunday just playing with applique in the Sweat Shop and watching cable TV re-runs. I really wanted to make another recipe from the Susan Branch cookbook tonight, but about a half hour before I was going to start fixing dinner, I realized I should have defrosted something. ARGH! Luckily I had bought some pizza dough at Trader Joe's the other night, so I had a fall back plan! I hope to have a photo of a recipe to share with you tomorrow though.

In the meantime, if you haven't entered the giveaway for the Susan Branch cookbook yet, please leave me a comment on yesterday's blog post.

And, speaking of giveaways, if you haven't visited my friend Eileen and entered her giveaway yet, get on over there and wish her a happy blogiversary!

Finally, here's one thing I did today that I CAN show you. I know it doesn't look like much now . . .

but someday it will be a Halloween tree! I dug up a dead bush and trimmed down the smaller branches and dead leaves. Hubby was kind enough to take it out back and spray it black for me. Of course, I still have to find a pot or something to stick it in, but I'm happy I found something to use this year--last year I never did find a suitable "tree" and had to make do without one.

Finally, I'm happy to say the flies were no heavier today than they are on any "normal" day. Maybe yesterday they could smell those ribs cooking half the afternoon. Or maybe it was the weather. Whatever it was, I'm glad they seem to have found somewhere else to hang out today!