6 more

The ole groundhog say his shadow and so there will be six more weeks of winter. It really doesn't matter to me here in Miami because normally it just gets cool enough to be able to turn off the A/C but my baby, 20 is in upstate NY as you know and he will be cold for real. Pobrecito!

Plus, hubby just found out he's going on a project for 3 to 4 weeks also in NY. NY is a big state. The project could be anywhere and he is going to be about a mile away from 20! Can you believe it? What are the odds of that? I think its pretty wild.

I am going to have to do some quick cooking this weekend to send a care package with hubby for 20. Plus I am making jambalaya for the big football game on Sunday AND its my nephews birthday on Sunday and I will be scrapping all day on Saturday. OMG I am already tired from the weekend and its not here yet. I need to organize my grocery list tonight to make sure I have everything because all the cooking will be on Friday and Saturday night.

Today is also the birthday of 17s godmother. I'm going by after work to deliver her gift which is a framed senior picture of her godson and a handmade card.

During lunch I am going book shopping for the nephew who is crazed about WWII planes. I'm thinking that shouldn't be to hard to find books on. I am hoping for something about the Tuskegee (sp?) airmen. We shall see. Those are the first two birthdays of the month. This weekend I will make cards for Valentines Day and the birthdays that are later in the month. So far I am on schedule with my gift making.

Lots to do but its all good....

Gift giving

I know, I know we just got over the big gift giving season but I have already started thinking about gift giving for the coming year.

Here's what I am thinking. I want my gifts to be mostly handmade. Yes, I know I have been fighting with the sewing machine but they don't have to all be sewn. I can hand stitch without a problem, cook, paper craft and other crafting too. The trick here, I think, is to plan ahead because it will require time to make the gifts.

There will be exceptions. I can buy books; giving book is always good. Also, I can buy handmade items made by others, its still handmade just not from my hands. Also, I like giving tickets to things like events, shows and other outings. So, maybe its not a handmade thing but its not a big box store purchase. I think that's more the idea. I don't want to give someone another shirt unless I put a design on it myself. I guess the other exception will be my kids and other little kids. My kids invariably get clothes (and they need to keep updating the wardrobe) and little kids it may be more appropriate to give toys. Oh, this is sounding like it won't work. Well, it's an idea and I am going to try it out.

We'll see how far in the year I make it.

Dream Room

I asked hubby last night if I was a bad mom because I wanted one of the kids to move out so I could get their room for my crafting. He laughed and said no because I will probably be making stuff for them. He has a point. I really don't want anyone to move out I just want a room.
My back aches and its all because I don't have a room of my own. My latest dream is a craft room of my own. Right now I have packed up all the scrapbook stuff and moved all the sewing stuff from 20's room to the back room which is a open to the living room and has a bar in it. Not really appropriate for a craft room. But anyway, the ironing board is set up and the 2 round plastic patio tables are in there one serving as a cutting table and the other housing the sewing machine. These tables are not the right height for these jobs and my back is reminding me of that very fact right now.
Can you imagine a place with a plenty of surface area to layout patterns, cut fabric, lay out scrapbook pages, let painted items dry, excellent lighting, enough storage space so that everything is its place because there is a a place for everything? Do you see it? I can. Ahhh.....dreeeeeam, dream, dream...

I did it!

Please give me a moment while I pat myself on the back.

I finished 2 pañales last night! I am so happy and proud of myself. They aren't perfect but they aren't horrible either. They look homemade- what can I say. Tonight I will iron them and wrap them up for delivery. I am so happy!

Lessons learned:
* Working with clear thread is very very hard.
* If I want to provide pañales for my grandchildren who should not be coming along for many many years yet, I need to start them now!

I will try to take a picture of them tonight and post them here for all (who am I kidding- both of you) to see.

Comfort and joy baby! Comfort and joy!

The Bad, the ugly, and the good.

The Bad news: 19s football team lost on Saturday and so they will not be going to the playoffs. They do have one more bowl game this Saturday but its really a non-event. :(

The Ugly: In my project this weekend making the pañales I am using clear thread. Do you know what color clear is? Its the color of whatever it is on; its clear! Do you know how hard it is to thread a frickin' frackin' needle with clear thread? Let me tell you it is really really hard. Do you know how hard it is to untangle clear thread? Let me tell you it is practically undoable. I gave up and just started over. Do you know how hard it is to stitch and know where you are with clear thread? Let me tell you it is really really hard. So, aside from being one of the hardest projects I have EVER done and testing my patience, it is coming out great. I completed one and have one more to go. I don't think I have enough patience in me for the third one. We shall see....

The Good news: 19 will be home for the holidays, including Thanksgiving. 17 has completed all of his college applications and already met with his counselor at school and had him send all the transcripts etc. He is already working on scholarship applications and completed a couple over the weekend. Comfort and Joy!

Note: Yes, I know that undoable is not a word but that's part of the point. It is taking to parts unknown! Gimme Patience.

Only good stuff..

I'm only going to write about how the weekend started because it ended horribly with a big fight with hubby that is still having after effects. But I'm not writing about that so let me move on.

Friday night we went with friends to my kids high school's football playoff game. I have no children playing in this game, 19 was on the sidelines rooting on his former teammates and 16 had taken off with other friends to the State Meet for Cross Country. The football team lost. They didn't play well at all. They lost against the same team they have lost to for that past 2 years. Oh, but I'm only writing about the good stuff, so let me move on.

Saturday I picked up a friend VERY early in the morning to go to a local Craft Fair that used to be much bigger than what it was this past Saturday but it was still nice. We met other friends there and had a lovely time, strolling around looking at all the wares and picking it up saying I like this but its how much, I could make that (but I don't) but since I can, I don't buy it. I love going through it all and seeing what everyone has made, their creativeness. It's inspiring. It soothes my soul. I think it has something to do with the fact that as a kid my mother and I used to go to all those Church bazaars and craft festivals they have up north. It's not a Miami thing. This Harvest Fest is the closest thing to it. So it feels good and comforting to go even though I hardly buy anything any more.

One of the cutest things that made me laugh were the Florida snowmen. It was Styrofoam balls (2) glued together to be a snowman but they were covered in sand! and were wearing beachwear. They were adorable! Of course, I didn't buy any because, I can make those.

The Cross Country team won the State Championship. 16 is so thrilled and he didn't even run. He was part of the team during the year but wasn't the top 7, so he didn't make States but he's thrilled and may get a ring.

Then Sunday I, nevermind I'm only writing about the good stuff...

Nice day for me!

I had a lovely birthday weekend sharing it with the dads.

Friday, I watched Pride & Prejudice for the umpteenth time as the Oxygen channel was so kind to play it for me. It wasn't the Colin Firth as Darcy version but I still enjoyed it because I love P&P in any incarnation.

Saturday, my birthday! Yeah me! I ran a couple of quick errands and promptly came home to play with my sewing machine. I had ordered an outfit online and when I received the tunic length top it was apparently made for someone who is 7 feet tall because on me it could have been a dress. It went down to the top of my knees. So, why not just keep it as a dress? Well, frankly because I'm gave up my street-walker outfit days. The material is Acetate and Spandex. So, yes it stretches and would be a bit too form fitting for my rear for me to wear in public and not possibly be arrested. So, I was going to attempt to alter it. Sounds simple right? A hem. How hard can it be? Come on this is basic stuff. If I can't do a hem, I have no business owning a sewing machine. So, a little over an hour later, ta-da! The top is hemmed to a respectable tunic length for 5'4" me. I put it on. Aw, crap! The hem is like wavy. It's not that the seam isn't straight it's straight. It's just that since the material had stretch to it, I guess I was stretching it along as I was sewing and there's a wave thing going on. Oh, but look! It's wavy in the back too. Oh, it's like that all the way around. Cool. It looks like an effect. I finish getting dressed and walk out to model it for hubby.
Me: "How do you like it? It's the top I just hemmed. "
Hubby: Squinting to get a good look, "Not bad! That's pretty good! I like the design you gave it."
Me: "What design?"
Hubby: Squints some more and in a tone not as confident as before, "Well, the way it goes up and down kind of wavy. You did that on purpose, right?"
Me: "Not really. But it looks like it, so that's the story. I did it on purpose!"

And with that we were off to dinner at Carabas with my dad and his girlfriend (review later). After an early dinner back home to make the fixings for Father's Day breakfast. It was a lovely day...very relaxing....family....food...and crafting...what more could I want. Nothing.

Balance?

I laugh in the face of balance! Who needs you?! I certainly do not!
Fri...
Bought/gathered the goods to make the pañales, cut up and sewed the hems and prepped the rest for the road trip, up until midnight when 15 and his friends got picked up for his weekender (I didn't see him again until Sunday at 10:30- when I got home), forgot to make Sat's dinner. The best laid plans....
Sat...
Up at 4:15 making breakfast to fuel a long distance runner, left the house in the dark at 5:45 with hubby to Sebastian thinking I'll keep sleeping in the car. The rainstorm of the century decided to come down upon us and I was wide awake with hubs trying to make sure that we stayed in our lane and not hit anything. Everyone driving with their hazards on at 20 mph with minimal visibility. Are we having fun yet!? We did that forever (read: a good hour) and then it finally started letting up. Who can sleep now? I'm wide awake so begin crocheting in the car. WE finally make it to The Meet miraculously on time, with 15 minutes to spare. It's freezing! The wind it blowing 30 mph (read: 30 mph- seriously!) Gratefully, I find a windbreaker in the trunk of the car because I'm in short sleeves and brought a broad rimmed floppy straw hat for sun shade! We find the team and settle in the bleachers, 18 is in the first race the 4x800. He runs well but the wind made a difference in the times. The team came in 6th in that event. Well, we got points for the team. I spent the entire day sitting in the stand crocheting off and on, tossing drinks down to kids on the track, handing out snacks and food in the stands, hubby made a run to the grocery store, we all got sunburned and were cold. Lots' s of good fun. The races were awesome. We placed in everything we competed in except the discus and shotput. We were in 1st or 2nd place the entire morning. After the lunch break we were in 1st but only by a few points. It was tight all afternoon. The final race, 4x400, we are up by only 6 points. Our cross-town district rivals are in second place, this is their best event. 18 was the first leg, he ran a close 2nd, we ended up in 7th place giving us 2 more points and our rivals came in 2nd place giving them the 9 points they needed to win The Meet by one point! it was very exciting. Our boys ran their hearts out. We drove back, beat just beat! Showered while dinner got delivered, ate and to bed.
Sunday...
Slept in till 9:30. Nice. But by the time I came out of the bathroom hubby tells me its 10:40. WHAT! I was in there for 10 minutes not an hour! He gives me some crap about Spring forward. Whatever! After breakfast, I proceeded to wash, dry and fold 637 loads of laundry (precisely that many), make a grocery list for hubby, pick up for the cleaning lady that's coming on Mon., all while watching The Bridcage. I love that movie. It's hysterical! I cooked the meat for tomorrow's dinner...yeah! and left at 5:00 to go have amazing Indian food with my girlfriends. Boy was that delish!
Not exactly the balanced weekend I planned but there ya go. Life got in the way again. But it's all good; a good time was had by all.

Weekend planning

So, as you know it's off to Sebastian, FL tomorrow for the Track Meet. I bought some crochet thread in a seafoam green to crochet a border for the baby blanket. Well, it's not a blanket I think it may be called a Receiving Blanket in English. It's made of diaper cloth. Anyway they didn't have the diaper cloth at my craft store. I will try to go after work to another one that's sort of on the way home. If not then I will embroider a design on a bib. I have a yellow bib at home a gajillions of pattern and thread. So between that and the book I need to finish I am good for the trip.

Tonight I am making Carne con Papa to leave done for tomorrow's dinner. That way we have food ready to eat when we get home for dinner. Tonight I am making fish for me and dad and Shrimp Alfredo for the runner because he needs the carbs. Plus I will do a little scrapping after I get everything ready for tomorrow.

Sunday, I want to sew. I have some pillow forms and a pink fluffy material that I bought a while back to make pillows for my niece. I am also going to dinner with my girlfriends. We are going to try a vegetarian Indian restaurant. I also need to update my agenda with dates for other track meets and a few other things the kids have told me about. Plus I have some Thank you cards to send out.

If I actually do these things then I will have actually done like all my favorite things in one weekend! It sounds like an aggressive list to me. Let's see how it turns out.

On the Road...

We are driving to Sebastian, FL on Saturday. I have never been there. We are going for a track meet. It's a 2 1/2 hour drive. 18's first race is at 9:30am. Lovely, I know. You realize the race lasts less than 10 minutes. You do the math. Anyway, moving on.

I have been thinking of what to do in the car on the drive up and back and during the incredible amount of down time that there will be all day. I mean yes, I will watch and root for the other racers form our school but let's face it I am going to be there ALL day.

I'm taking a book to read and I was thinking of taking a new project (since I haven't finished any others why not start a new one?) I think I'm going to make some baby things for a couple of friends who's daughter's are pregnant. I could embroider a bib or crochet a border on a 'pañal' Cuban-style baby blanket. Either of those projects are portable and can actually get done in a day if you work on it. Hmmm... I may actually already own most of these supplies. I'll have to check tonight. Because if I don't I can hit the craft store on my lunch hour tomorrow. Exciting a new project! I'll let you know if it happens and how far I get. I need to start taking pictures of this stuff and learning how to post them. But that would be another project. ;)

Crafts & Gifts

I like crafts. I can crochet. I can embroider. I can do various paper crafts. I can do VERY basic painting. I have made candles. I have painted candles. I have painted glass. I now scrapbook. I have made dried flower arrangements. I can decoupage. I like crafts.

There are a few things I don't know how to do that I have always wanted to learn. I don't sew. I don't know calligraphy. I don't knit.

So yesterday, I got home and announced that I bought myself my Christmas present from the family. 16 thought that was great. 18 was all like so we don't have to get you anything? and hubby just laughed because many years I have bought myself a little something and wrapped it myself and opened it on the 25th. So, he figured par for the course. So, I told them to guess. They tried. We played 20 questions and they couldn't figure it out. So I finally said. A Sewing machine. They almost choked on their dinner. 16 just laughed and said oh, yeah that was on the top of our list? When did you learn to sew? Hubby was shocked and had some basic questions like, Where are we going to put it. I haven't really figured that out yet. What are you going to make? Do you know how to sew? When I answered no, that I would learn all 3 laughed and said well I guess we'll get you "Sewing for Dummies".
So, there you have it. I've been wanting to learn how to sew, I saw a deal, I went for it. I have visions of curtains, tablecloths, pillows, tops for me, being able to do alterations to my clothes. It will be lovely!
I ordered it online and so it will be delivered in a few days. I will probably not open it and not look at it or play with it. I will tell them to wrap it and put it under the tree and I will "see" it for the first time on the 25th when I open it. I'm really looking forward to it.
I'm thinking 2008 will be my year of Crafts. It used to give me a lot of pleasure and I let it go when me-time was scarce. It's been coming back slowly in the past few years but I think 2008 crafting is coming back full force. That's the plan anyway.