Really nice trim to make

I stumbled across this when viewing another video.  I really like the way the trim looks at the bottom of the dress, so thought I would share :)  Hope you like it, too!

Merry Christmas!

A wintery giveaway

Isn't this the cutest snowman?  You could win this in the giveaway at By Your Hands blog.  I visited for the first time today and enjoyed looking around.  There is also a button on the right to go to the site.  Get your entry in!

Free postcards for our troops

Since 2006, Xerox Corporation has provided free postcards for our troops overseas.  The cards were designed by children, and they are printed and shipped by Xerox.  All you need do is visit this site to chose your card and place your message.

Please take a few moments to visit and send a card to make a soldier feel loved and appreciated this holiday season!

Favorite sites - Tipnut

I've decide I will periodically do a post of my favorite sites.  This time it is Tipnut, a wonderful site full of tips and links to some great things.  Today I followed their link to some vintage kitchen prayers, recipes and stories.  The following is one of my favorites:

How To Bake A Cake: Charming Recipe Story

You’ll find this popular recipe story in a variety of old cookbooks. That Johnny, he’s a busy boy!

■   Heat oven. Grease pan. Crack nuts. Get your bowl, spoons and ingredients. Remove 18 blocks and 7 toy automobiles from kitchen table. Measure 2 cups flour onto piece of waxed paper. Get sifter out of cabinet. Remove Johnny’s hand from flour. Wash flour off him.

■   Measure out 1 cup more flour to replace what is now on floor. Put 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. of salt in the sifter. Get dustpan and brush up pieces of bowl which Johnny has accidentally knocked off table.

■   Get another bowl. Measure and sift ingredients. With spoon work 1/4 cup of shortening against side of bowl. Answer doorbell. Return to kitchen. Remove Johnny’s hands from bowl. Wash shortening off him. Add one cup granulated sugar gradually. Answer telephone. Return to kitchen. Remove Johnny’s hands from bowl. Wash shortening and sugar off him.

■   Get out an egg. Answer doorbell. Return to kitchen. Mop up floor. Change Johnny’s shoes which are all eggy. Get another egg. Beat. Remove toy automobile from bowl. Add flour mixture alternately with egg, 3/4 cup milk and one tsp. vanilla. Answer knock at back door. Remove Johnny’s hands from bowl. Wash shortening, sugar, flour, milk and vanilla off him. Beat…mixture that is…Take up greased pan, find it has 1/4 inch layer of salt in bottom. Look for Johnny, who has disappeared.

■   Get another pan and grease it. Answer telephone. Return to kitchen and find, of all people, Johnny. Remove his hands from bowl. Wash shortening etc., etc., off him. Take up greased pan; find it has 1/4 inch of nutshells in it. Head for Johnny, who flees, knocking bowl off table.

■   Wash kitchen floor. Wash kitchen table. Wash kitchen walls. Wash dishes. Call up your baker and order a cake. Lie down…

......Author Unknown

Sew challenging

Like many sewers (when did that become a word instead of seamtress or tailor?) I have a plethora of fabric, notions, beautifully colored threads, patterns and unfinished projects.  I went back to some of the oldest projects and decided to begin there and move forward.  I bought the fabrics for these stuffed animals (along with the pattern) back in 2001.  Yes, you read that right....2001!  I am hanging my head in shame....trust me :)  The animals have long flat arms so they can be tied around each other in a hug.

The puppies were sent to one of my grandsons, and one set of bunnies was sent to a co-worker's daughter.  The other set is waiting to tell me where they want to go.



Kai's puppies



Pink and blue with stars bunnies





Ember's bunnies



Humor break!

Survey time....

Please click here to complete a one-question survey on privacy.

Please click here to complete a brief survey on "salty" language.

These surveys were created by me as a result of a disccusion I as having with one of my sons.  They are anonymous, so please be as honest as you can on the short essay portion.
I appreciate the time anyone takes to complete these surveys.  Feel free to leave comments here on the blog if you have questions or elaborations :)

DIY Dish is back!

One of my favorite web shows is now entering their second season....the DIY Dish with Kris and Kim!  Here is their first episode of the second season.



Be sure to visit their blog to enter the giveaway!

My best model

My daughter-in-law sent me a picture of my grandson, Kai, modeling his new outfit from grandma.  I just love it :)

Keeping cool!

Officially a Gleek!

I've become a true Gleek...a rabid viewer of the TV phenom "Glee".  Yes, I'm a grandmother and this is essentially a show about high school kids trying to feel less a geek than others, but I'm hooked.  The music (yes, there's lot of music!) is great.  The glee club in the show consists of a kid in a wheelchair, a girl who likes to dress a bit on the goth side and stutters, the football captain, his best bud, three cheerleaders, a couple of pop-lock dancers, a gay guy, an overweight gal, and the ingenue who has aspired to a life in showbiz since infancy.

The director of the glee club is the Spanish teacher, who attended the high school as a student and now relishes teaching.  He was a part of the glee club when he was younger and aspires to bring glory back to the school.  He truly cares about the kids.

His nemisis is the cheerleading coach, who thwarts his every move to improve the glee club, lest she lose any funds for her cheerleaders.

I have probably oversimplified here, but I love this show.  One episode had Mr. Shuester (the glee club director) trying out for the same part as his old rival from high school (played by Neil Patrick Harris).  They end up doing a superb duet of Aerosmith's "Dream On".  Fantastic!!

I've put several of the songs from this show into my playlist here.  The show is currently in reruns, and you can catch the previous five episodes on Hulu for free.

Finally completed a project!

Okay, so I managed to step away from Facebook long enough to complete something.  I had once made a very small (about 18"x 18") knit blanket for one of my grandsons.  He turned out to not really be into blankies, but his newest brother is.  Brenley loves to rub his face with the blankie when he goes to sleep, so they call it his "face blankie".  I received a phone call about 11 pm on a Friday night two weeks ago.  My daughter-in-law said it was an emergency.  When I finished with the "who's hurt?  what's wrong?" panic, she told me they lost Brenley's face blankie.  Horrors!  So, I had to make a new one.  This one is a tad longer instead of square.  But I think he'll like it.

Brenley with first blankie

New blankie

While I was at it, I had begun some summer shorts rompers for his brother, Kai.  I decided they should be finished and sent at the same time so they both got something.  I hope you enjoy the pictures.  I know I feel good that they are finished!

Kai's rompers

Got to get off of Facebook!

It's been forever since I've posted on this blog.  And I can tell you in one word why....FACEBOOK.  Ever since a friend told me about the games, it's been a downhill spiral.  I find I've just about given up any other hobbies I have.  It's a sickness, I tell you!  Another friend asked what the draw of games like Farmville is.  I couldn't answer.  I walk away from that game and am always drawn back as soon as they offer something new, which is every single week!  I know when I began to play, it was a creative outlet.  I enjoyed arranging my farm and my little YoVille apartment.  Then it was time to expand, move into a better house, etc.  Along with that came more "things" to decorate with.  And, of course, to be able to afford everything, you had to visit your friends/neighbors.  This led to becoming Facebook "friends" with complete strangers, all in the name of having enough neighbors to upgrade/expand/make more at the factory.

I've been able to effectively give up YoVille.  That is, as long as they don't create more levels :)  Now it's FrontierVille.  I actually enjoy this game.  It's more interactive than the others.  You have to complete quests to continue on.  There's still a raft of neighbors, again, mostly people I don't even know...but this game is appealing to me more than the farm.

I suppose the fact that I work at home and am at the computer all day contributes to this Facebook craze.  But I need to turn it off and get back to my sewing/knitting/crocheting/reading/fill in the blank that I have ignored for waaaaay too long.

Yes, I know one of the last posts I made here was about Facebook, but that should tell you all something :)  It's an addiction that I, personally, want to get control of.  So, wish me luck!  And if you see me on the farm, just wave and pretend you don't know me.....because you probably don't :)