SLOW START

This week is off to a slow start.  I got home Sunday night after a great visit with the TX Neals.  Got to see the “Q” play ball on Friday and then get all dolled up and look so so pretty for her recital on Saturday.  Molly Beth and Jack have grown so much and continue to keep my on my toes :)  What I thought was a little sinus drainage all settled in my chest and I wasn’t the best company but my fam loves me anyway.  I’ve been a little energy-less yesterday and today but school hasn’t been bad and I’ve kind of vegged here at the house after getting home in the afternoons.  I think I’m over the worst of the coughing and haven’t sneezed at all today.   No, I don’t think I have any kind of flu.  I haven’t run any fever  and yes I’ve done my best not to cough or sneeze on anyone.  Anyway, I’ll hopefully be back to normal in another day or so and be back to work on my list of sewing projects.

Til then I’ll leave you all with a Knock Knock Joke especially for “Q” (I think she’ll like it)

Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Ivan.

Ivan who?

Ivan new hat, do you like it?

PLEATS, CUFFS, SOFTBALL AND A BALLET RECITAL

The plan was to come home a little early and get in a good bit of sewing and then get ready for a trip but because I’ve got a lot of sinus drainage and a headache because of stopped up sinus’, I ended up laying down on the couch for a good while.  I have done a little sewing though.  Finished the pleats, made my piping and did one of the cuffs for the sleeves on Mabry’s dress.  I love the fabric and think it is going to turn out really pretty.

Looks especially good against the red upholstery background – don’t you think ?:)

The nice thing about it is it will be sitting here in the exact same spot waiting patiently until I get back.  Sewing is nice that way.

So ---- I can turn out the lights in here, go get my “stuff” together and hit the sack a little early and maybe sleep just a little later in the morning and hopefully feel a lot better and head off for a fun Texas adventure that will include softball and ballet and even better lots of hugs and kisses from some sweet grands.  Can’t wait!!

YUMMMMMM

I fixed this recipe for while the kids were here.  Got it from my sister.  Sorry Pioneer woman – you’re good but …….. well, she’s better :)

ITALIAN JAMBALAYA

About 1 lb each of chicken , Italian sausage and boneless pork - cut the chicken and pork into bite size pieces
Chop 1 each – small to med onion, red pepper, green pepper, yellow pepper. (Use more or less according to taste

3 minced garlic cloves

1 T dry Italian Seasoning

1 t salt

½ t pepper

2 cans rotel

1-2 cans plain diced tomatoes

6 oz tomato paste

1 - 8 oz pkg of Orzo pasta

· Brown sausage on Med high until no longer pink –Add 1-2 T olive oil if needed. Remove sausage and cook chicken and pork in drippings for about 4-5 minutes.

· Add onion and peppers and next 4 ingredients and cook for 3-5 minutes

· Add tomato paste and 1/2 cup water

· Add canned tomatoes and sausage, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

· Cook pasta according to package directions.

· Stir in pasta just before serving. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions and fresh grated parmesan cheese.

· If you want to make ahead, just save the pasta for the day your plan to serve and cook and add it then. That’s what I did and it worked great.

and this recipe

Flat Iron Steaks

Get however many steaks you think you’ll need

McCormick’s Montreal Steak seasoning

Rub 3/4 – 1  t of the seasoning into each side of the steak.  If you like things really spicy you may want to add more.

Preheat your skillet so it is really hot.  Add 1-2 T of olive oil.  Lay your steak in the pan after it is good and hot.  Cook for 4-7 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the meat and how done you want it.   Remove and let sit for at least 10 minutes.  Slice thinly across the grain.  DELICIOUS!!

I also fixed the Crockpot Corn recipe ( I think I linked to that a couple of weeks ago) and there weren’t any leftovers.

 

Here are some pics from our fun weekend.  Wish I knew how to upload some video ‘cause they played Guitar Hero (?)  and it was a hoot.

  

Reading with (Great) Grandmother

 

Playing at the park waiting on the TX cousins  

   

Watching Aristocats – Don’t know where Jack was.

Katy telling Jack the finer points of loading the dishwasher.

Hope your weekend was as fun as mine!

ANOTHER FREE BLOG BACKGROUND SITE

I happened upon another site that has blog backgrounds -- lots of cute ones too.

http://www.scrappinblogs.blogspot.com/

We had a great family weekend. Since everyone left, I've been working on my "recovery" plan :)
Heading to bed cause I have duty this week -- another "last" -- woo hoo!!

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS

Here

and here

Got at least half of the handwork finished today and this evening.

MARATHON UPDATE

Here are the results of my sewing marathon – sans handwork—which I’ll do during free time at school and while watching Jack and NCIS.

Check

Check

Check

Check

Check

(back) (front)

Check

One stack of projects is now much smaller.  Now it’s tuck time.  AND the sun is shining too :)

What do you do when you don’t have any big buttons except for orange or white and no stores to go get some – You take the orange button which doesn’t do much by itself because there is so little orange in the fabric and you top it with a smaller  aqua button that matches all the aqua in the dress and . . .

What do you think?

TIDY MOM IS HAVING A GIVEAWAY

Check out Tidy Mom’s blog and enter her giveaway.  While you’re there you can find lots of organizing and other ideas. We can all use good ideas – especially me.

RAIN RAIN AND MORE RAIN

Yesterday the weather was soooo very nice so I went to three different nurseries including Walmart and got some plants for my patio.   Then I got my gloves and and potting soil out and transplanted them into the pots on the patio.  They looked pretty nice when I got finished.  You can see some of the yard in the background too.  Notice the lack of water.

I have some geraniums, verbena, petunias, impatiens, a kimberly fern, sweet potato vine, lantana, and some parsley and basil.  We’ll see if they survive my baby travels later this spring.

I got up this morning and it was overcast.  Went to some friends for dinner after church this morning and around one we had a thunder storm.  The bottom just fell out.  It rained so much in 2 1/2 hours that my back yard looked like this.

Kinda wet out there right now.

Was lazy for a while this afternoon but then got busy pressing some hems and pinning bodice linings so I can get the handwork done either at school or during the evenings this week.  I’ve got only the underarm ties and attaching the the bottom of the dresses to the linings and I’ll be finished with the blue fish dresses.  The only handwork there will be a thread loop and sewing on a button.  Most of tomorrow will be spent working on the tuck dress for Mabry Grace.  I marked the tucks one day at school last week so I can get right busy on the sewing. 

Oh – I also finished the minky blankets Jennifer asked for this afternoon so I’ve done pretty well working through my list even if  I kind of broke out of my “marathon” yesterday to work on prettying up the patio.

Well, it’s actually  Monday already so I think I’ll hit the sack.  I’ll leave you with a couple of Toby pictures. He’s starting to resemble Little Lord Faunt Le Roy with all those curls.  They will get cut off or shortened Tuesday when he gets his bath.  he’ll look more like a cocker.

 

G’night

NAVY SEALS ROCK!!

Don’t know him except he’s an American who was being held for ransom by Pirates  (yes real live pirates ) and he’s been rescued by Navy Seals.  Take that you idiot pirates – we’re not negotiating.   Captain Phillips is safe in American hands now – safe.  If this is not a case for arming these cargo vessels then what is?  Twenty crew members – 0 guns.  Four pirates and all kinds of automatic weapons.   We should be able to protect ourselves.  

A REALLY COOL CAT

 

I’m more a dog person but I think I could learn to love a cat.  And this cat is awesome – click the two links below to see just how awesome he really is.

http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/

http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/2009/01/sunday.html

FRIDAY’S PROGRESS

 

From this

to this

And this

From this

to this

And Toby and I went to the Walmarts and got a Kimberly fern and two pots of verbena, some parsley, some basil and a really pretty geranium.  We’ll transfer the stuff to the pots on the patio tomorrow and do some more sewing too. 

Night everybody.

MY SEWING MARATHON WEEKEND BEGINS….

I’m off – a little slow due to the electricity going off three times this evening – but off none-the-less.  One blanket top is finished.

Another is sewn in strips and two of the five strips sewn together

 

Jennifer is addicted to Minky Blankets and her kids seem to love them too:)  They are pretty easy to make although the Minky can be slippy slidey  sometimes. 

The status of the rest of my list . . . .

 

barely begun and

2/3 done. 

Someone else looked at the house today before I got home from school.  So far no one is lined up for the weekend but  I’m not really anticipating anything since it’s a holiday.  We shall see.  Tomorrow I’m hoping to sleep – 8:30 or 9:00 would be really nice.

I’m done for the evening.  More tomorrow.

HOW TO HAVE THE CLEANEST HOUSE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD and A TO DO LIST FOR THE LONG WEEKEND COMING UP.

I spent the weekend getting my house ready for an Open House that the realtor had today.  It really looks great!! And people can open my closets and I won’t be embarrassed:) I have learned to keep my house a lot neater since all the kids left (what does that say about me?) so there really wasn’t just a whole lot to do.  My sewing is what makes a mess these days.  Little stacks here and there and scraps laying on the table  -- you get the picture.  So, I’m trying to do better with that and maybe I’ll cultivate better habits about keeping my sewing picked up. 

The Open House was from 4 to 6.  Four different sets of people came through.  The realtor said all the comments were positive.  The house has been on the market for twelve days counting tomorrow and if I’ve counted correctly, after tomorrow 10 different groups will have looked at the house.  I’d say that’s a good start. 

I get a four day weekend so I’ve made a to do list so I can finish the stuff I cut out a couple of weekends ago

Wed: put together the two minky quilt tops.

Thurs: Put together the green tie over the shoulder dress

Fri – Mon : Finish the blue fish dresses and the bright fish dress and get as much done on the tuck dress as I can.  (I can’t believe I’ve started naming my dresses by colors , patterns and fabrics)  These are all easily contained projects in case someone calls and wants to show the house.

Okay –I’m off to bed – I’ll try to post pictures as I make progress on my to do list.

Night all.

COOL GIVE AWAY AT JUST BEACHY

Chris at JUST BEACHY is giving away 2  one room design plans.  Just check out her blog entry and leave a comment.  I’d love  a redesign.   Bet you would too.

In other news, I ‘ve finished 14 of 24 embroidered squares for Baby Girl Neal’s quilt.  I ran out of the stabilizer I was using so I decided to work on my other projects til I have a chance to get some more.   I finished the pockets on the dress I made for Lucy’s’ granddaughter and will finish the handwork before bed so I can give it to her tomorrow.  She’ll be so surprised.  I hope she likes it.

Back to work.

I THINK IT WILL WORK

I think this darker thread will work on the quilt I’m making – what do you think?

Here are the finished pillowcases too.

 

I’m off to bed.

This post written and published to MUSINGS through MS Live Writer in less than two minutes.  Blog Life IS good :)

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A SHADE (or two) MAKES

Here is a comparison of the new darker embroidery thread and the lighter thread I first used. I plan to embroidery a couple more squares after school and then I'll lay them out on the fabric and take a picture and post so you can see the difference. I think I'll be okay using the darker thread.