• Blog - Crafts - Creativity

    T Tuesday: this and that edition

    October 8, 2018 - By 

    Once again I’m sitting at my keyboard wondering where the time went last week and what do I have to show for it.

    I have continued to use my personal handmade journal. It’s fun adding interesting bits to pages. I’m thinking I want to start another for old photos and memories of the kids. I have lots of random photos printed that would work perfect in that sort of journal.

    I’ve been browsing Pinterest looking for sewing projects. There is something about Fall weather that makes me want to sew. I came across some easy fabric coaster/mug rug projects that I decided to give a whirl since I had some squares pre-cut from a long forgotten project.

    This was the tutorial I used. Of course, I didn’t have the exact sizes but I figured it didn’t really matter. I turned out slightly larger than I would have wanted. Then I noticed some half square triangles in my stash. I had started making pinwheels and abandoned that project decades ago.

    They do make cute coasters though!! I’ll likely make more of these…at least as many as I can with the quilt pieces that are ready to go. Another prime example of not throwing anything away….it pays off.

    Volleyball still rules our evenings (and some weekends)…at least for another week or so. Like last week…two evening games, two practices, a parade and an early morning tournament… I cannot wait until Mini-me has her drivers license. 

    I’m not holding out much hope for a peaceful week. Tuesday morning Mini-me has a 7AM ortho appointment…ugh. I have picture day at school. I’m not banking on that being a great photo since I’ll have little to no time to get ready. Oh well.

    T stands for Tuesday
    What are you doing today?
  • Blog - Creativity

    T Tuesday: journal edition

    September 24, 2018 - By 

    I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I have thought about and even started a personal diary or journal only to abandon it within a week after basically forgetting about it after day 2.  I would either think I had nothing to say, be paranoid about someone stumbling across my inner thoughts or perhaps just was intimidated by the hundreds of stark white pages ahead of me.

    So l started actually using my newly created personal journal. I’ve discovered that it is much more inviting to write in than a blank page for me. I actually want to sit down to write. I even think during the day about remembering to write something down later. I’m rather excited about this new phase in my creative journey.

    Watching the growing community of Hobonichi users was very inspiring as well as generous journal folk who share their videos on YouTube. So many ideas to put to use. I feel as if I pulled together the things that will work for me from the plethora of information I’ve absorbed. That being said, its important to me that I am authentic in what I do…not just copy ideas verbatim. What fun is that!? Besides this is my personal journal…if I can’t be real on those pages, there is really little hope.

    I think I might do another video after a while to share some progress and interesting tidbits or techniques I’ve used in the journal.

    I did a little before school refashion for Mini-me last week as well. We’d picked up this sweater at Goodwill but she didn’t like the length it was on her…she’s very petite aka short. So she asked me if I could do something about it…15 mins before we left for school. What do you think?!

    Last week simply flew by. Volleyball games during the week, a tournament that both Mini-me and I worked at then a short trip to a small apple orchard with friends. I finally tried a couple of varieties of apples that were developed by the University of Minnesota; honey crisp and sweet tango. Both were so good! The orchard also had a few pear trees. I’ve never been a fan of pears but I took a slice when offered since it was the polite thing to do. I was actually surprised at the difference in taste than typical grocery store pears.

    Thank goodness we got some nice apples because I really need those. You know the old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”… well, I am fighting a cold. I was hoping it was just allergies but I fear it is a cold. Those darn germ covered kids and surfaces at school. Just can’t seem to avoid it. So my beverage today is an immune boosting drink. Fingers crossed that it does the trick.

    Work and volleyball still dominate our schedule.

    T stands for Tuesday
    What are you doing today?
  • Around home - Blog - Crafts - Creativity - Outdoors

    T Tuesday: three days left edition

    June 4, 2018 - By 

    Three days…that’s the long and short of it.

    Three days until I’m done with work until late August. But also three days until my oldest is done with high school. Technically he has already graduated since everything is checked off and he has his “card” but he must still attend school until the end. The actual “walk” is on Friday. Yep…getting my tissues ready now.

    For me this last week off school is chaotic which can sway from “easy breezy” to “smack you in the face difficult” to “wait, what just happened?” all in one class period. So needless to say, in that respect, the days are long.

    Outside of school days, I’ve been keeping busy with little mini projects and helping a friend with the monumental task of cleaning out her parents house now that is sold. I know how hard it is and I wish I could lend a greater hand but timing on these things isn’t always the best.

    My first mini project was making a pair of glasses for a co-workers wedding cake topper. She had mentioned that she ordered some Barbie glasses off the internet. I told her I doubted they’d fit and mentioned that I’d made a pair of glasses for a Gnome a couple years back.

    The glasses made the gnome a dead ringer for the neighbor kid…err…adult now. Too funny!


    Long story short…the Barbie glasses were WAY to small for the would be groom so I was given the challenge of creating a suitable pair.

    I think they turned out pretty good. I sent a photo to the bride and she approves.

    Over the weekend, my rows of beans and snow peas popped out of the ground. It’s amazing how quickly that happens. I swear if you had all day you could watch them wiggle their way through the soil and unfurl their leaves in a splendid little dance.

     I made another bunting this time for the deck garden. Since I still need to stain the deck rails I decided to try out something new with the bunting.

    I used some bamboo to act as mini flag poles suspending the bunting at the front of the garden. The hope is that the flutter of the flags might deter the deer from munching on the plants. This wasn’t my original plan so I’ll need to make a little extension so it can reach all the way around.

    Anyone notice my after dinner beer in accordance with the T Stands for Tuesday guidelines?  I’m trying to be a good kid and follow the rules….sometimes it is difficult. 🙂 I forget. It happens.

     

    I’ve worked a bit on some journal spilling. Creating a background then quickly with a very free hand (aka messy) spilling my thoughts of the moment. I may leave things as is or I may use my writing as a part of the background. Not sure, so it sits.

    I brought home a little basket of treasures from my friends house. Mostly spools of thread, a few vintage dress patterns and some double pointed knitting needles. You should have seen me walking home with my little basket under my arm. I felt like Little Red Riding Hood. I even saw a large critter on the way home. Only it wasn’t a wolf…it was its slightly small cousin a coyote. Its crazy! We’ve noticed a big jump in sightings lately. I have seen 4 in the past 2 weeks. But seeing one while out walking only 2.5 blocks from we was a little disconcerting.

    T stands for Tuesday
    Its the last Tuesday of the school year for me…. but what are you doing today?