Halloween 101

It's beginning to look a little spooky here on Lake Murray, SC. I've been putting Halloween up all day!! I put my whole spooky village (dept 56) in my glass plates with domes, it looks really cool. I saw someone on the web somewhere do that last year and have had it in my head to do ever since. Of course, one never has enough power plugs and adapters, so off to the store tomorrow, yet again for more Halloween necessities, yah right!! Bogie is all excited to see things turn black and orange here, he loves decorating too! Martha Stewart had some good images in her Halloween Issue this year, I've used a couple of them!! Of course, to placate the husband, I have to keep up some art work and "lakey" stuff, none of which matches Halloween... at all!! But a happy husband is a happy home!! Starbucks sort of freaks out at Halloween, he gets very nervous, him being almost solid black, but he fits the decor!! Can't come up with a costume for Bogie for the Pet Smart costume contest. Last year is was Bogie's Anatomy and the year before that it was Desperate Housedog! He's won crowd favorite both years, but the dogs can't get prizes, because it would show favoritism and we don't want the pets to have fragile egos!! They give all pets a little chew toy and then have a parade!! Of course, my dog tries to pee on every display the store has (you know he has to do the alpha male thing, him being all of 9 lbs!!)

Halloween 2006

Halloween 2005

Fireman Quilt

It's finished and here it is.

The top picture is it done, without the 9 on the yellow emblem, and the bottom picture is a closeup of how I quilted the whole thing. It is binded in my red hand dyed fabric, and the firemen's emblem (cross like object) is embroidered on a solid sheet of red on the back. I have my label on the back explaining the symbolism. This is my label: (Hand dyed and commercial fabric, hand sewing, machine quilted. The White background symbolizes sympathy for the families left behind, quilted shapes represent the chaos of flames, the helmet is embellished with soot. The Chin Strap of the Helmet has the names of all 9 Firemen who perished that day, providing strength, courage and most of all protection for all firemen in all future fires.)

Finee!!

I have finished the quilting on my Fireman Project, made the label for the back, have made the binding, have to do the wording in the Chin Strap, and put the back onto the front. The back will have the firemen's symbol sewn into the back, very subtle. I have to take it to the Fair on Tuesday. I feel a sense of accomplishment!! I sewed the borders on my Kaffe project too!! Maybe Ken can eat dinner on the table without a sewing machine in his face!! (My sewing room table is overloaded, I can't sew on it right now!! It's a mess!!) I think I might clean it in the near future!!

State Fair

I'm working hard on my Firemen Tribute Quilt for the State Fair!! Pics to come at completion! I'm on a deadline!

Kaffe Day Results

Here is step 1 - complete with my Kaffe Quilt. It is a take off of his Tapestry Quilt, but I didn't want mine as big as his, so I altered the size of the blocks and left out his largest block. I just love his colors!! Oh, I said that last night, well, still love them!! Of course, this project interrupted the State Fair Quilt (a tribute to the Charleston Firemen who died) which interrupted my Scrap Quilt, which interrupted my House Quilt which interrupted an Inchie Project. Speaking of interrupting, my Starbucks is trying his hardest to get me to pet him while I'm typing this! He wants to cuddle RIGHT NOW!

Kaffe Step 1 Done

Cousin Pfeebee christening my Kaffe!

Kaffe Affair

Went down to Charleston to visit Lili on Friday night. We took her out to dinner and did a little shopping with her, showed her where the dealership for her car is so she can get it serviced, showed her where Trident Tech was (on the map) so she could take her defensive driving class, (thus reduce her latest speeding ticket) on Saturday. We really enjoyed her. Fun part was on Saturday a.m. on the return trip home, stopped in my new favorite place - People Places and Quilts. Oh, a tiny shop but great fabric selections, they love the fabric genies Kaffe Fassett too. I bought a few (hee, hee) fat quarters and started my version of one of his quilts. It's gorgeous, I love his colors and his patterns. I can't wait to wrap up in the colors, brings a smile to my face!

No, no, bad dog!

This is what the Bogie, (cute white Bogie) looks like when he's covered in flea spray and sneaks off the deck to rub in the pine straw and dirt. It takes three cycles of showers to get him white again!!

Just Too Cute

This pic requires this second blog for the day!! Came from a friend of my Mom's. How cute, a roomful of Bogie and Rileys. How come I can't ever get Bogie this still?

Normal Afterall!

I'm normal, yes I'm in pre-meno..... thank goodness, I thought I was going crazy. Thank goodness for Ken, he's the best! The dr put me on soy isoflavones, rather not do hormones yet. After two days, I'm sewing, might even feel like cleaning!! I've been decorating baby clothes for my sister-in-law's new grand baby. It's a boy, and Daddy's in the Special Forces, thus the camo one. I put my little tags (poppies and palms) on the back, there's no threads on the inside, so baby won't itch. Get well Austin, and peace to Diana's boys.

Sailing on the River of Denile!!

My sister says I'm in denial, I say I'm going through menopause....

I'm painting fabric yesterday and today in exchange for my sanity!! I sure hope the dr tells me I'm in early menopause - cause I am a wreck! Can't sleep (that's been happening for awhile), can't concentrate on anything, don't feel like doing anything. Hey, maybe I'm really an artist and I have a creative block, sounds better than insane or menopause to me!! Anyhow, this is what I did yesterday, one is Diamond in the Rough (WIP) and the the other is Going Green (WIP)

Inchies

I've discovered Inchies! How much fun. I've been playing around all morning, well I guess now into the afternoon too! Fun!! I'm such experimenting right now, but with A.D.D. playing a large part of my creative juices, these little projects are things I can complete!! I forgot to mess with my pictures first, so they are a little dark. I'm now going to embellish each 1 inch square.

My Michael Miller fabric

A New York fabric with Michael Miller border

Playing with Starbucks' help, he thinks because he can't see me, then surely I don't see him!

Heat and Spill Proof

Did y'all know they made spill proof keyboards now?? How do I know, because I spilled my cereal bowl in the old keyboard and milk and Hewlett Packard don't mesh!! So... now we have a new keyboard, spill proof no less! I have decided on a quilt pattern!! After looking at hundreds of different ones on the net, I finally decided on a pattern, and yes it's very simple, but bold! I think it was on a ladies blog from Norway!! Anyhow, I started it today, maybe pics tomorrow after a little more progress!! It has been 110 or higher degrees for this whole week!! Right now it's 6:00 pm and it's 100 in the shade on our deck!! Yuk!! Makes it very hard to do anything, but sew! I've survived my second straight week at the gym, going everyday!! I can't diet because of my blood pressure meds and thyroid meds, so small portions and lots of sweat, have I lost any weight, no!! I can't lift my arms, or feel my legs from the knees down, but no weight loss, maybe the scales at the gym are broken!!??

Record Heat AGAIN

We can't leave the house hardly, it's sooo hot. Thank goodness when our a/c went out last week, they fixed it the very next day!! 2 weeks of 100 or better predicted!! The Starbucks and Bogie just lay around, it's so hot. Starbucks usually manages to get his big furry body on top of an a/c vent and just lays there. I've included a pic of my regress into cross stitch. I just can't make linen look even!! How do these other ladies do it??

One is going to be a witch picture, the other believe it or not is "home of the brave". My home is wiggily due to my uneven stitches, I'm trying!!

100 + Pics

OOpsie, how'd the wonder mutt get in here??
D.O.G. in Harry Potter colors!
Bogie in Harry Potter colors!
Scrapbooking Loot
"Crabby" (who's noisy)

Turning 100 is cool!

Wow, a lot has happened since I turned 100!! (100 Blogs that is!) I've been major sick, thanks, Adkins Diet! Now almost back to normal (my normal), Lili and Jenny have a pet, we went to scrapbook convention in Charlotte! Adkins Diet is not good to go on when you have thyroid and high blood pressure issues! I about died, or so I thought! Major drop is sugar levels caused me to go down, literally! No energy, no circulation in extremities, no sight cause of the massive headache, awful! We've been going to gym everyday, by the way, Lili lost 5 lbs! Yeah, go girl! I lost weight too, but not healthily for my health issues. No more Adkins for me, just tiny portions and exercise, and no obsessing about weight, (I don't live in Hollywood, anyhow!) K has a "plump" wife that's all! Over, end of subject.
Jenny and Lili so want to be full blown adults, they are 18, going to college in 2 weeks, drive, work, why aren't they adults all they way?? They went to the beach last week and came home with "Crabby" the Hermit Crab like little girls do!! Anyhow, what do you feed a hermit crab, I forgot?? He or she, Crabby is noisy - I thought we had another possum in the house eating dog food, it was the Crabby walking in his house!
Scrapbook Convention - very much the money eater, again. No room for paper girls, don't let me buy any, well, I am the proud owner of all new Basic Grey, Lots of Rusty Pickle, including new book (yeah!) and the mandatory Disney and school for Austin and the Girls, so much fun, but had no energy yet, had to eat sugar every 20 minutes, rest every isle and locate the first aid section (really). Thank you Nadine for having numerous nursing skills and Julie for driving (thanks Dale Earnhardt, female version) Pics are next, scrapbook and Crabby! Welcome, Pichu, the new kitten! A real cutie, see pics to come on soncatandme.

Happy 100!!

I've done 100 blogs!! wow!! I also started back at the gym today. Lili and I are going together to a gym her in town. She has to lose as much weight as possible before school starts. She's worrid about the college 15 on top of what she already gained! I need it just because i'm fat. Our trainer has us doing Adkins for the first 3 weeks that Lili will be here. No carbs whatsoever! I've never done it, so we shall see! Lili says she feels bad already, me, I'm fine. We are having steak with cheese and brocolli and hardboiled eggs for dinner.

99 bottles of blogs on the wall

This is my 99th blog!! wow, 99 blogs of complete silliness, I love reading other people's silliness, so maybe somebody besides my sisters are reading my silliness!! Speaking of silly, Bogie (the Maltese love dog) just ate Farto Beans (Pork N Beans) and Bok Choy (sp ?) He eats anything, as long as it was on our plates!! I'm a late bloomer on some stuff, just listened to Annie Smith's podcast interview with Susan Branch! I love her now!! She just happened into a whole career on accident, plus she loves the word inspiration! So do I. I completely need inspiration each day, I might be able to make it with Susan Branch. I'm going to order one of her books!! Looks wonderful!!

Dumb, Dumb, Dumb

Yesterday, I gave Ruth and Jean their "favorites" totebags and I forgot to take pictures first!! They both had a heart shape, quilted then I appliqued their 5 favorite things on the hearts, then attached that to a pre-fab tote bag! Ruth's even had some of my hand dyed fabrics. Ugh! Then we went to Rusty Anchor last night for Jean's birthday and I forgot the camera again. Ruth gave Jean these horrendous shoes as a gag gift except we decided I like them and Jean's sister Katherine in Atlanta would like them too. They were high heeled ankle boots in tapestry type fabric (reds and blacks) then they had furry pom poms. The best part Milton modeled them for us and he was hysterical. Again no camera! Then there was a fire at the other marina, Lake Murray Marina and again, no camera. The paper (never has good stuff) just said one boat sank, one boat was a goner and two other boats had damage. The smoke was pure black until the fire boat got there, 20 minutes after the fire started. But we only have one fire boat on the lake and I'm sure it was across on the Lexington side, so.... the fire burned itself out pretty much. It was scary for awhile, tons of boats were out looking, it was like the 4th of July!

Rough Life

When I die, I hope I come back as a much beloved pet. My animals have it made!! It's Monday, after a very active weekend of water fun and the pets are pooped this morning!

Is it morning already???

Are you sure the "Parental Units" are up already??

Starbucks' favorite morning routine, Bogie cleans his ears!! This cat purrs so loud during this event, he sounds like a motorboat (really!) It must be love!

Please, it can't be morning already, wake me up at lunch time! They both have refused to move this morning!!

Pre Harry Potter

Happy Day Before Harry Potter Release!! I love these books, but not good enough to stand in line or go to a Potter Party. Just really admire the writing and wished I'd thought of it. I've been sewing and cross stitching! Yes all these blogs from France have re-inspired an old favorite hobby! I'm doing a small witch and her cat at the moment, and also working on a very difficult Santa. What possessed me to buy this kit three years ago is beyond me!! It's got metallic, and furry type threads, what happened to plain old dmc?? No pics yet, they will come!! Got to go stitch and watch Potter Mania on CNN!