On my sewing machine:
I made these rug mugs based on Sweetwater’s Sweet Tea quilt block. I used labels from their shop too!
With the kids:
We hosted Buddy the Baseball from Mrs. M’s 1st grade class in our home last weekend. He helped decorate the kids’ tree, watched Rudolph, and played Legos with C.
In the kitchen:
(You can find my homemade marshmallow recipe here.)
In the garden:
Lettuce, lettuce, and more lettuce. Salad, anyone?
What’s new? Here are a few peeks at what we’ve been up to this past week:
On my sewing machine:
I’m almost finished with this quilt top. I was drawn to the modern colors and design, so with Momma’s help, I have almost pulled it together. The picture above is actually just the blocks laid out on my bed. It really is a big pile of Christmas tree blocks and courtyard squares that looks like this:
With the kids:
In the kitchen:
Christmas cookies!
In the garden:
Actually, this was the last of the summer garden. The frosts took care of the pumpkin and watermelon vines, so we’ve pulled those. We are left with tomatoes (that are probably done), lettuces, cabbages, and broccoli.
Here’s a simple facelift for your couch—pillow covers!
I like to make simple envelope pillow covers. Here’s how:
1. Measure your pillow. You’ll need to know the length and width.
2. Do a little math. This pillow measured 11 x 15 inches.
I’ll be teaching classes through LSUS Continuing Ed again this spring. Here are the dates and details:
Getting to Know Your Sewing Machine:
Thursday, January 12 6-9pm
Monday, January 23 9-12
Saturday, January 28 10-1
Thursday, February 16 6-9pm
Monday, March 5 9-12
Thursday, March 22 6-9pm
Thursday, May 3 6-9pm
What else can your sewing machine do?
Thursday, January 26 6-9pm
Monday, February 6 9-11
Thursday, March 1 6-9pm
Saturday, March 17 10-1
Thursday, April 12 6-9pm
Monday, April 9 9-11am
Thursday, May 17 6-9pm
Learn to Read a Pattern
Tuesday and Thursday, January 17 & 19 6-8 pm
Monday, Janury 30 9-1
Tuesday and Thursday, Februrary 21 & 23 6-8 pm
Saturday, February 25 9-1
Tuesday and Thursday, April 3 & 5 6-8pm
Tuesday and Thursday, May 8 & 10 6-8 pm
Curtains and Pillows!
Tuesday, January 31 6-8pm
Monday, February 6 11-1
Tuesday, March 6 6-8pm
Saturday, March 17 11-1
Monday, April 9 11-1
Tuesday, April 17 6-8 pm
Tuesday, May 22 6-8pm
Basic Applique:
Thursday, February 9 6-9pm
Monday, February 13 9-12
Thurday, March 15 6-9pm
Thursday, April 26 6-9pm
Monday, May 16 9-12
The 6-year-old decided to be Robin Hood for Halloween.
It was actually a fantastic ruse to carry the new bow and arrow to church and show it off to a few friends.
We scavenged and came up with a tunic (Daddy’s oversized green tee) and brown tights (the bottoms to an Anakin Skywalker costume). But…we needed a hat. So, off to Google I went.
I found CraftyStaci. I love it. This fabulous tutorial, some green cord scraps, a feather, and about 37 seconds were about all I needed to finish our Robin Hood hat. Awesome.
By the way, apparently when you are 10, dressing up becomes “optional”. The Big Girl told a few friends that “Momma hasn’t made a costume” and that she would be a “kid in a tee shirt”. Her friends thought it was funny, so that’s what she dressed as. Poor, neglected “Kid in a Tee Shirt”.
****Hey Ya’ll. Just a little disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional or such. I’m basically just sharing my experience so that it may comfort you or a friend before their mammogram.
I had a mammogram today. Nothing crazy is going on, but my obgyn said I needed a baseline screening at my recent check-up. Here’s what I wish I’d known, or that I’m glad someone told me, before today:
1. Some recommendations suggest that women have baseline mammograms at age 35. I always thought it was 40, so my doctor really surprised me when he suggested I get a mammogram. (I’m only 35 29.)
2. The machine is this tall thing with a platform. You stand up, they line you up and smoosh. Why is it important to know you’re standing up? Well, I wear dresses and skirts pretty much all the time. Thankfully, I was in a blouse and skirt today and I only had to remove my top layer. So…no dresses.
3. No deodorant, powders, etc. Thankfully, a friend mentioned this to me last night at church. Apparently these can cause false reads.
4. It really doesn’t hurt. Really. I promise. It is uncomfortable, but for like 3 seconds. Honestly, it was easier than an x-ray at the dentist with those crazy films they put in your mouth that almost gag you. For the record, I did take a preemptive Advil dose.
5. Your mammogram tech is not a radiologist, so she can’t give you any diagnostic info. That said, Lisa (my friendly mammogram tech this morning) was full of information that I did need. She told me when and how I would hear from the doctor’s office. She also told me:
6. “Don’t panic if you get called to come in for more views.” Apparently, “re-dos” are quite common, mainly to establish that the baseline is all clear. Good to know.
So, that’s it. That’s what I’m glad I knew (or wish I’d known) before this morning. Is there something you could add to the list?
Look what we found in our fall garden! Whoo Hoo! The kids are so excited about these little baby pumpkins. I hope they turn orange before Halloween!
Our other vegetables are growing too! We harvested a handful of bell pepper that were promptly chopped and frozen, just waiting to be mixed with a little garlic and onion and (store bought) celery.
This hot, hot, dry, dry summer was tough on our garden. We harvested a few tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and 1 little bitty ol’ canteloupe back in June and July. Since then, it has been too stinkin’ hot to even get out there to work. Yuck. We pulled everything up in late July (except the watermelon vine and that crazy pepper plant that likes the high temps)with the plan to start a few things for August. Um, yea. That didn’t happen.
Finally, we have a break from the heat. We had a couple of pretty (read as cooler than 90 degrees) days around the beginning of September so we weeded everything and laid down a new layer of compost.
Today, the high is only 89! Whoo Hoo! (let’s pretend that last Friday wasn’t day #65 or so of 100+ degree temps) I picked up some lettuce, cabbage, and broccoli from HD to transplant. I decided to try one more early producing tomato too. Maybe we’ll get a few more before the temps get too cold.
So…here it is, the fall garden with it’s teeny tiny transplants, the crazy and loaded bell pepper plant and one happy, but not fruitful, watermelon vine. Bring on the fall!
Isn’t he cute? He’s been to 3 meetings and he’s having a blast.
Want to buy some popcorn from the Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts?
