The Art of Procrastination

Normally I would never say I'm perfect at something, but I really do think I have perfected the art of procrastination. I have 3 more Christmas stockings that I NEED to make for Daph's teacher before the school year is over (in other words 6 more days to sew) and I WANT to make her a purse for an end of the year gift because she keeps making comments on how much she likes the one I made for myself. However instead of being at the sewing machine right now I'm updating my blog. See! Oh and just in case your procrastinating too, and need something else to do you can look at the other stockings I made for her in my slide show (right column), hers are the stockings with the names on them.

Actually I think I should wait till tomorrow to start the stockings because I was thinking about making a tutorial on how I make my Christmas stockings and for that I really need the good day light for the best pictures. Yeah that sound good, it makes perfect sense.

See I told you I think I have this down perfect.

I love Thunderstorms!!!

As a kid growing up in Minnesota one of my very favorite things was a good thunderstorm.  I loved listening to the sound of the pouring rain, seeing the flash of lightening and the crack of thunder.  Those are really happy memories for me.

Now I know in other parts of the country that a thunderstorm may not deserve a blog post, but let me tell you, living in the high desert of northern Nevada they do not happen very often.  In fact that is one of the few things about the area that I don't like.

But tonight we are getting a wonderful treat, at least in my book.  We are having a full on thunderstorm, with the pouring rain even, and best of all it's lasted a half hour so far.  I could be having a moment of Nirvana.

Moms - We all have our monents!

Now before I start I have to say that I don't remember any of this, but I have heard the story over, and over, and over again!!

When I was about 5 years old one of my best friends was a little boy named Tony who lived next door to my Grandparents.  We played all the time when I was at their house.  For some reason, and I have no idea why, I would also bite him all the time.

My parents tried everything to get me to stop, they had even tried to get Tony to bite me back, but he just wouldn't.

One day when we were out playing my Mom heard Tony cry and came running out.  She sent Tony home and as soon as we got in the house asked my Grandma for tape.  My Grandma told my Mom they only had electrical tape.  My Mom said I don't care.  As she says now, she had just hit her limit and was so frustrated, she didn't know what else to do.

So she taped my mouth shut.  

It had only been a few minutes when Tony came back over and wanted me to play again.  My Mom said I could go out but only if I kept the tape on.

So I went out and played, and never bit Tony again.

Now when my Mom tells the story she's mixed between seeing the humor (especially at my expense) and being embarrassed .  She can't believe she really did that. 

My little project for the day, and a quick brag!

My daughter had today off (again, this is the 2nd of 3 this month), so I didn't get much sewing done, but I needed to get this little pillow done for our next Girl Scout meeting.  It's for one of the girls in our troop who is moving this summer.  I have fabric markers for the rest of the girls to sign on the plain purple fabric so she can take a little bit of them with her.

I just had to brag for a moment and say look at all the incentives our Girl Scout troop earned, our average was over 200 boxes per girl.  We had several at 300+, and even 2 at who reached 400.  The girls will be so excited when they get handed out at our meeting.

I finished the bag!

When I added the picture to the last I thought that it would work to just show the almost finished bag, but I find I just couldn't stop with that.   I just had to show you how the finished bag turned out.  I especially like how the flower pin turned out.  I followed this tutorial.

However my SIL won't be getting the bag to use as a diaper bag before the baby arrives, because I got it in the mail today, and then my brother called to tell me that my new nephew had arrived about 9 o'clock this morning. 

Mom and baby are doing well, but on Monday my brother was told his contract wouldn't be extended like they had told him last week, in fact he was let go that day.  So if you can keep them in your thoughts and prayers it would be appreciated.

Here's what I've been doing lately!

I've been working on a couple things for my sister-in law's baby shower.  I still need to attach the handles to the main bag, but I'm almost done.  I made up the diaper and wipes bag based on the size of the wipes container, I used this pattern for the pouch for my SIL's things, and this pattern for the reversible baby booties.  The baby booties were really easy and turned out super cute and the pouch was pretty easy as well, and I was happy with how it turned out, especially since it had a zipper.  The final things I made were store bought cloth diapers that I decorated with a strip of flannel down the middle.  I love how they turned out and I got lucky when I found those fun colored cloth diapers on clearance!

I didn't take a picture or it but I also made a very simple blanket for my SIL's sister since it's a double baby shower.

Now I just need to make 3 more Christmas Stockings for my daughter's teacher before school ends (June 4th) and I want to make her a purse as an end of the year gift.  I better get back to sewing soon.

Janet do you recognize the flannel?

This is the reverse side of the booties

Happy Mother's Day

I just wanted to wish all you Mom's out there a Happy Mother's Day, and I hope you get shown and told how important you are!

I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine - she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights.  ~Adabella Radici

Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together.  ~Pearl S. Buck

Is it supposed to be that way?

Sometimes people scare me.  

A couple weeks ago I bought a book at Walmart.  It was just a basic science fiction paperback.  It was turning out to be a really enjoyable book until I got to the middle of chapter 17, where it jumped to chapter 26.  Oops.  So I  look through it and I notice that not only does it make that jump, but a couple chapters further on it goes back to chapter 20 and then goes on to the end.  So it is completely missing 2 1/2 chapters.  

But like I said it was a good book, and when I kept forgetting to exchange it, I just bought another copy.  Then the other day I finally remembered to return it, and yes to Walmart.  I didn't have the receipt but the publisher had said to return it to the store and they could return it to the publisher.  I wait in line, and I finally get a free clerk.  I explain the problem with the book, and that it is MISSING chapters, and she actually looked at me and asked,

 I quote "Is it supposed to be that way?"  NO!

I did finally get a store credit, but I just couldn't believe she had actually asked me if a book is supposed to be missing chapters.  I really wanted to ask which school district she attended, just to be on the safe side for my childs future.

What I could be doing with that $70

My daughter loves her gymnastics class, and for the most part so do I.  Her class is a trampoline and tumbling class, which is very cute to watch.  However once a year I dread it.  Our place does a "recital" that they call Super Circus, and this years is fast approaching.  AAAHHHHH (running away screaming) NO!  I'm not sure what I'm dreading the most, the financial output or the tortuously long performance.

Now let me just get this said, as cute as my daughter is in her outfits, jumping on the trampoline, she will never be a competitive gymnast, so that said I'll continue my rant.

I didn't realize this last year but the gym looks at this whole production as one big fund raiser for their teams.   We pay full price for the leotards (that are hopefully washable this year) so that the gym can get the profit, we pay for tickets to come and be tortured (oops) ENJOY the 3 hour performance which is done in their own facility.  Luckily we don't have other children who will want to come because they take the whole circus theme to the extreme with concessions to buy at the show such as cotton candy, popcorn, snow cones etc. 

Last year we paid about $40 for this leotard and a matching hair scrunchy, yeah we got all of that for 40 dollars.  I know that is nothing compared to the price for dance recital outfits, but it's pretty annoying when they have cute outfits in their store area that are only about $30.  When a couple parents mentioned the prices last year the owner just said "well the coaches (high school student) got to pick the outfits."  Yeah that helps.  At least this year we will know that price up front.  Last year it was a deposit with an unknown amount due the day of rehearsal. 

I think it would help if we weren't paying for everything.  The expensive outfits for the girls might not be so bad (this years is about $50) if the boys outfit wasn't  $18.  Why can't all the kids in this class wear t-shirts and short.  And then after paying for the outfits we will pay about $7 per person for tickets to sit in their facility.  I find my self irritated beyond belief, but unable to tell my daughter that she can't go and get her trophy at the end of the performance.  So I had to vent here, but I keep thinking of all the other things I could spend this money on.

1)  8 weeks of calming yoga class

2)  one and a half video games for my husband

3)  10 books

4)  at least 9 yards of fabric

5)  several trophies

6)  we could all go out to a nice dinner

etc

etc

etc

not to mention all the really practical uses the money could go for.

Oh well as the commercial try and tell us, my daughters happiness and pride in her new trophy will be priceless.  Right?