Frugal Friday with Marsha 7/18/14

I hope this finds that everyone has had a good week.
It's been cooler here in Kansas. It's only been in the 70's this week, which is sure strange for July.

Hubby's been on vacation this week. I would like to say that we were frugal and stayed home, but really we stayed home because we made no plans and didn't save any money to go anywhere!
He's been really working hard in the yard doing things that should always be kept up to begin with.
I can't say that I've done much.

I did pull a few small cucumbers from the garden yesterday. That was a pleasant surprise to find them. One of these years I just might get this gardening thing and actually be able to grow enough that we would no longer need to buy fruits and veggies from the store.

Otherwise from the garden we've only gotten a few strawberries that we ate right away and a couple of tomatoes. I bought what was labeled as bell peppers but they aren't. They are some sort of super hot pepper. I don't know what kind. I noticed that one of them is turning red now. I have no idea what I'm to do with them.
We did pick lots of snap peas and if I can figure out where I put the rest of those 'seeds', I can plant more like I did last year.
We did cut lettuce and spinach a few times, but not I've allowed it all to go to seed. I think I could still cut leaves.
The overwinter onions aren't the same as regular onions, again, I'm not sure how to use them. I have bags of them cut up in the freezer. I've cooked some of it with ground meat several times. I used the greens in potato soup. There are still lots of onions out there. I've given away quite a few of them to others who can replant the tops and get their own started.
I have wild garlic, but again, I'm not sure how to use it.
Looks like I really should start taking the time to do some research!

When I list is out like that, it doesn't seem like we've done too bad, but really it's not that much.

Thanks to those of you who linked up last week. I hope to see some links this week as well.

An InLinkz Link-up

WIP Wednesday 7/16/14

I have tried to stay steadily busy throughout the week working on my sewing and quilting.  As always I have several projects all going at the same time with more waiting in the wings.

I have my version of a five and dime quilt started now.  The 10 inch squares are all cut.   I hope this week to get some sewing done on them.  This is my first time trying this method but when Lynne Hagmeier did the program at our guild I wanted to try her method of sewing on top.
I'm not using the Kansas Troubles fabrics as you can tell.
I'm using plain colored fabrics that were given to me by a friend.  The charm pack that I chose to buy is 30's Playtime and I bought it with a gift certificate from the quilt shop that I won in my stitch group.

I finally have gotten out the hexagon table topper and am working to hand stitch it to the backing.  I'm not putting a center in this one.

I'm still working with red on my hexagons as this month's color in the soscrappy blog color challenge.
They are moving along nicely working on them just a bit each day.  I have 2 hours of needlers group this afternoon that will progress them more today.

I did finish putting on the binding on the scrappy table runner and now have it listed in my etsy shop.
I'm now working little by little to sew down the binding on the sunflower table runner and then get the placemats done too.
Speaking of my etsy shop, it's also a WIP as I am working to 'get back in to business'.  I've listed 2 new items and have chosen to relist several to fill the shop up some.  I'm even working on my Marsha's Spot of ETSY squidoo lens to get it back up to date as well!

Last, but not least, this week I bought a few yards of insulbrite and got more work done on these 34 hot pads.  Excuse my grandson's foot in the photo.  He just turned 13 and thinks he's quite the comedian  LOL   I've had the tops made for awhile, extra blocks from quilt tops that are the right size for hot pads.  These haven't been on my WIP list, but they are now added (as you will see on my lists below)
I am going to back all of these with the same polka dot fabric that I am backing the table topper above with.
Some will be listed in my etsy shop in sets of 2 and others will be put back and given out at Christmas time.

I'm still reading a little each day in The Cross-Country Quilters.  Reading doesn't find time in my daily life as it should, but I'm officially half way done with the book now.   It's so good and I look forward to reading more.

UFO's:
(finished) Log Cabin quilt
 (finished)Log Cabin wall hanging
(finished) Log cabin table runner
Rectangle quilt
(finished) 2 rectangle table runners
challenge wall hanging
GoodNight Irene quilt/wall hanging
(finished) Quilt for sewing club at church
 (Finished) Applique Bunnies quilt
 (Finished) Penny Patch Quilt
Yo-Yo Table runner
Hexagon table topper
(Finished) Spoolin' Around
Emerald Island Fusique table runner
Sunflower table runner and matching placemats
Five and Dime quilt
34 Hot Pads

NewFO's
Spiderweb quilt
Easter wall hanging
Cat wall hanging
Christmas bags (total of at least 25)
Braid table runner
Sunflower pillow
Christmas wall hanging





There you have it for this week!    I am linking up with the following blogs:

Fulcrum Gallery Offers a Wide Range of Prints

Fulcrum Gallery is your one stop website for wall art and home decor.
Based out of Monmouth Junction, NJ and was launched on October 10, 2002.  It started out featuring view-only artwork from famous artists.  The artists were receiving referrals and orders from the website so they took it a step further.  On September 26, 2003 it became an online store.

You will be in awe of the choices in wall art and home decor.
You will find art by subject as well as art by room.

When I went to the website I already had in mind exactly what I was looking for.
I wanted a picture to hang outside my utility room.
I went to the laundry room area and found this great word art print.

Fulcrum Gallery is offering a 40-50% off sale on their website right now.  You can also save an additional 5% by signing up for their newsletter.

You will find that the prints are very reasonably priced.

Once I had my print chosen, I then chose a frame.  There are several colors and options of frames to choose from.  I found a color to almost exactly match the doors on my utility room as you can see in my photo above.

Then it was time to choose the matting.  Again, there are several choices of colors.  Matting is optional you can choose to have none, but you can also choose to have 2 or 3 if you like!

If you don't want your print framed, you can choose to have it on canvas or laminated.

You can see there are many options.

I am thrilled with my print.  Each order is framed and put on canvas on site as ordered.
Each print is marked on the back with the signature of who framed it and who checked it for quality assurance.
You will notice in my photo of the back of my framed artwork that there is also an extra hanger included.

Again, here is another photo of my framed print.
I ordered

Linda SpiveyMom's Laundry Rules

 

 

Disclosure:  I rec'd my choice of print, frame, and matting from fulcrumgallery.com for the purpose of this post and review.  I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own.

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Frugal Friday With Marsha 7/11/14

How has your week been? How was your 4th?

I had saved back $20 to spend on fireworks and spent $16.10 of it. My husband did buy a few with his money too.
When you put us with 3 of my children and their families who also bought, we have more than enough to keep us entertained and having lots of fun.
There was also a nice show just down the block from my daughters as well.

I can't say I've had the most frugal of weeks, but I did make sure to look at the ibotta and checkout51 apps before shopping as well as get things put on in the savingstar website. I never buy much of the stuff on those other than the basics. I did buy the milk, strawberries, bananas, and bell pepper.
The bananas were a double as they were 20% cash back on savingstar plus the .25 or .50 on checkout51.
On ibotta I got the canned tomatoes as well as the Libby's pumpkin.

I bought a cell phone through Boost Mobile and ebates this past week. The phone was $17.49 with a $17.50 rebate from ebates. I paid $18.96 with sales tax and the shipping was free. I'm using it on wifi only for apps....mostly PerkTV.
Then I found out about Extrabucks.com. I ordered another of the phones there for the same $18.96 but their rebate is $28! Plus $5 for signing up.

While I'm talking about those, if you aren't members of those, you may want to sign up.



ExtraBucks!

I'm not sure about ebates, but extrabucks gives you a $5 sign up bonus as well as I receive a $5 bonus as your referrer.

I don't do a lot of shopping online, or at least I haven't. I have a feeling that is going to change. I mean, if I am going to buy something anyway, why not check online through the rebate sites before going to the store?
I added the extension for extrabucks, which will pop down if I am on a site and let me know it's part of their site for rebate. I need to get the extension put on for ebates as well. I hope they will work together.

While I'm here again, I want to tell you that I'm learning a lot of things over in chatabout.
Chatabout is a topic forum and you earn points for "chatting about". It's so much fun and there are so many topics! You earn 1 point for every topic you post in to as well as 1 point for replying to what others have written.
There are also other easy points as the daily poll, a giveaway to enter, videos to watch, offers, radio to listen to etc.
500 pts = $5 and the points roll right in.
If you aren't a memvber, you can check it out HERE

I think that's about all of the 'damage' that I can do this week.
Speaking of damage, I'm sure that you noticed that I have done something to mess up the html here on my blog. I'm trying to find help on how to fix it. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
I messed with html when I shouldn't have. I just have to figure out how to get that left side bar back over here where it belongs.

I hope you share some good stuff with us this week.

An InLinkz Link-up

Squidoo Hopping 7/10/14

Sticky notes are still my friends while working each day to update at least a few lenses.
I've changed it up though. I was just making one note on a sticky note. Now I've been looking through the whole lens and making notes on what needs to be changed or what can be added. Some lenses are taking 2 sticky notes!

I'm currently sitting at 19 WIP's. Not bad at all since I did have 55. Once I get through my WIP's I will start going through all of my lenses making sure to keep up with updating every day....at least that is my ultimate goal here.

How are your lenses doing?
I'm going to share 2 of my lenses today that are just below the 85,000 ranking. I look forward to seeing the lenses that you share with us too.

An InLinkz Link-up

WIP Wednesday 7/9/14

You may have noticed that I didn't do a WIP post last week.  I didn't have a thing to share that I had worked on!

This week I've tried to be busy.

Let's start with more fabrics that were given to me.  I had lots of fun going through these.  My mind racing of things I can make with these, and things I could finish.
I've not been sharing here on my blog the things that have been given to me, but this is the 4th time recently that I've brought things home.....and the 4th time that things didn't get put right away where they belong too.

This month on the soscrappy blog the color is red.  I got out all of my red hexagons and have started working on them.  I have a lot of red but I do hope to get a lot of them done over the month!

Yesterday was monthly sewing club at church.  My new project is to make quilt tops out of a pretty large stack of 6 inch squares that another of the members cut.  This is my start.
I am sure there is enough for at least 2 quilt tops.  I am guessing it will take me another 3 months to get them all sewn at one day for month.

Lastly, I finally got the bindings made for the 2 table runners and 4 placemats.  I have the binding sewn on to the table runners and almost ready to start hand sewing it to the back.
I was planning on taking these to my stitch group this afternoon but have no decided to take the hexagons instead.  Now I plan to take these Friday evening to sit n' sew at the quilt shop.

I'm also working on reading my very first novel that is written about quilting.  It's The Cross-Country Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini.
I love it!!  I've found that it's her 3rd book.   Now that I've started reading them I can't wait to read all of the books that I keep hearing my quilting friends talk about.




Here is my current UFO and NewFO lists.

UFO's:
(finished) Log Cabin quilt
 (finished)Log Cabin wall hanging
(finished) Log cabin table runner
Rectangle quilt
2 rectangle table runners (one done)
challenge wall hanging
GoodNight Irene quilt/wall hanging
(finished) Quilt for sewing club at church
 (Finished) Applique Bunnies quilt
 (Finished) Penny Patch Quilt
Yo-Yo Table runner
Hexagon table topper
(Finished) Spoolin' Around
Emerald Island Fusique table runner
Sunflower table runner and matching placemats

NewFO's
Spiderweb quilt
Easter wall hanging
Cat wall hanging
Christmas bags (total of at least 25)
Braid table runner
Sunflower pillow
Christmas wall hanging
Five and Dime quilt
Chevron quilt

I am linking up with the following blogs:

Frugal Friday With Marsha --- Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July to all!

Being frugal on the 4th of July, or any holiday for that matter, isn't easy sometimes.

We are having a family get together at my daughters house. Each of us is pitching in a part for the meal. (I am making the potato salad)
Each family will buy a few little fireworks and we all have fun lighting them together.

Oh so much money going up in smoke. I can't imagine those who spend for the big spectacular fireworks! We are fortunate that people around us buy those. We get to watch their money go up in smoke.
I have saved out $20 for what I will spend.

We are heading out the door in a bit for some free entertainment of watching the parade.

How do you celebrate the holiday frugally?

An InLinkz Link-up

Squidoo Hopping 7/3/14

Sticky notes have become my friend.  I'm not sure why I haven't always been using them!
As I am going through the pages in my binder of lenses, I am making notes on each on of updates that I need to do, or can do.

Some time back lensmaster Virginia Allain put a challenge up in one of the squidoo facebook groups.
We were to take a lens that was ranked 150,000 or something like that and do one update it each day for 5 days.
The challenge showed up just how much higher that lens would rise in lensrank with just small updates in a row.
I was amazed.

My point is that that is exactly what I am doing with my lenses right now.  With the exception of totally redoing my Latest 10 Lenses lens, I am just doing a small update on several lenses per day.

I am not just updating the WIP's either, I am also working on others as well.
My WIP status as of today is 28, down from 55.  I don't feel that's too bad.
However, Bonnie had replied in the HQ post that the lenses would stay in WIP status until we do update them.  Someone replied to her that it notes next to each lens that they will be deleted after 30 days.  Bonnie said she would check on that.  That was 13 days ago when she replied, so I replied to her asking what she had found out.
It's something to know for sure, especially if there are lenses in WIP that we don't want to see disappear.

I don't know for sure which lenses I will end up linking in today.  I'm even going to surprise myself!
Surprise me with your link ups too.

An InLinkz Link-up

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