Shop Hop Saturday---Work Week! And Sweetheart Celebration!

I'm working hard to get back in to the swing of things.  Mostly I am working away on my crafts to keep getting them listed in my etsy store and such.

I do have 2 new postings this week.  They are repeats of products already in my store:

Cotton Crocheted Washcloths Set of 3 in Billowing Blues 

Save the Earth Fabric Bag 

 

I have a couple of things lined up to list next week already as I work on some larger projects to get listed.

I am working on a quilt with flower fabrics, a new toothbrush rug, sets of double thick crocheted hot pads with matching coasters, and I have 2 table runners I want to get put together.  I have one more fabric bag ready to sew and material enough to make 3 or 4 more of the Save the Earth bags.

 

On to the sweetheart Celebration---Monday, January 9, 2012 is the last day for get the early bird pricing of just $5 for a 45 minute presentation time.  Hurry in and grab your spot!  We are back on track on having these online parties and they just get better with each one and more and more know about them.

 

TGIFF!--Folded Hotpads

I really had hoped to have the quilt I am working on completed by today. You know about those best laid out plans---we ended up being away from home a lot this past week. I only have 3 rows of 8 sewn together on it.

Today I will share the folded hotpads that I've been making. I went as a visitor in November to the local quilt guild meeting. During that meeting they had what they called mini-demos. One of them was on how to make these folded hotpads. I was excited. I had just bought some insulbrite a couple days earlier with the intention of making hot pads with some fat quarters I had won over on listia.com some time ago. I stayed after the meeting to get further one on one instructions.

I do hope these count for the TGIFF since I did learn how to make them at quilt guild. I did since join the quilt guild and am very happy! Last months meeting was a Christmas party and we had a motivational speaker who was excellent! This month's meeting will last a couple hours longer and we bring our machines and work on project. Am I excited?? You bet I am!

Anyway, here are the hotpads. When I learn something new that I like, I go with it for awhile. I have material cut for 2 more sets yet. however, I highly doubt after I put the next 2 sets together if I ever make the hotpads again (unless they do sell in my etsy store.

 This isn't quilting but I want to tell you about the Granny Square a Day 2012 that I am taking part in.  I've not made granny squares in many many years.  I am making some other things with my yarn stash, but doing a granny square a day this year will take care of what is left from my other projects too!   Here is a photo of the 6 squares I have done so far along with the button if you would like to see how others are doing and/or join in yourself.

  

Frugal Friday Link Up--4 Uses for Meat Tenderizer

Good Morning! I hope your new year is off to a frugal start.
I have some things in mind that I've not gotten to, and at the same time I've been doing well.
I plan, first of all, on making the homemade Bisquik. Hopefully I will get to that today.
I've been doing some things like making sure lights are turned off in rooms we aren't in, or they aren't on if we don't really need them on. I'm working on getting crafts done from my stash of supplies. Seriously, if I didn't buy any more supplies, I have enough to keep me busy I would guess for 3 or 4 years! I did buy a spool of thread, but a couple more would keep me in my sewing too with all the material I have.

I built 2 new squidoo lenses this past week that are along the lines of saving money and being frugal. I will link those up in the linky this week. Yes, you may link up any url you like as long as it's on subject, not just blog posts.

I was looking through this 99 Cent Solutions book and realizing that sharing out of the way I am, it would be a couple more years at least to get through the whole book. I hope to start doing separate blog posts with more throughout the week and just linking them up to this post. That way we can call learn faster from the book and I might actually get through it too.

This week it's 4 uses for meat tenderizer:
1. Take the bite out of a mosquito attack. Slather on a paste made by mixing a little meat tenderizer with a few drops of water on that itchy red bump. Let it sit for 5 minutes before washing it off. If you catch the bite right away there will be no mark at all left. Even hours later you will still reduce the redness and swelling significantly.

2. Ease a sting. The same trick works for a wasp or hornet sting, relieving the pain almost instantly. If the stinger is still in the skin, gently remove it with tweezers, being careful not to squeeze it deeper into the wound. Apply the meat tenderizer and water paste and let it remain on the skin until it dries and flakes off. This take about 15 minutes or so. The enzymes break down the toxins from the sting.

3. Soothe lower back pain. Mix 1/4 cup meat tenderizer with 2 tablespoons of water, adding a bit more as needed to make a runny paste. Rub this right into the skin over your aching lower back. Ideally, cover the area with a washcloth dipped in hot water and squeezed out. After 10 or 15 minutes you will feel the muscles start to relax. Rinse it off and take it easy.

4. Take on touch stains. Hot chocolate, coffee with milk, blood---these protein based stains are usually nearly impossible to remove completely. If the stain is still wet you have the best chance. If not, wet he cloth and hope for the best. Sprinkle the stained area thickly with meat tenderizer, rub it in, and let it rest for 1 hour. Then launder as usual.

Until next week!

Squidoo Hopping---New Year for Squidooing!

Welcome to the first squidoo hop of the new year.  I hope this post finds everyone with a re-newed outlook for the new year.

I've found myself sidetracked in squidoo quite often this past week.  Just now I was doing a search to find the instructions to crochet a granny square and towards the top of my search was a lens!

I believe that I only updated one lens this past week.  I had to update This Day in History August 15.  I had put it down as Araya's birthday but it's Willo's!  Oopsie!   I do still have to build one for Araya's birthday, as well as my mom's, and 2 of my grandsons--Tristian and Cash.

I did build 2 new lenses though....2 in a week for me??  The first one is Crafts as Gifts 2012.  I realized that my original Crafts as Gifts lens was just getting far too large.   I have vowed to make 2012 a home made gift year, so I plan on having plenty to add to the lens throughout the year.  I started the lens with a few items that I hadn't added to my original lens.   (I also made a page here on my blog Handmade in 2012 Linky, so please do continue to add links on hand made items to the list.  I'm loving what has been added so far.)

A couple of days ago I had newspapers on my mind.  I was away from home all day, but once home I spent over 2 hours putting together a Uses for Newspapers lens.  Wow!  A search came up with hundreds of things spanning several websites.  I opted to just list the things I have done, along with one I would like to try.....then make a link list with websites of other lists.

In other news---no reply yet on my request to use a scanned picture of the postcard in my Elvis lens.  I'm thinking I probably will not get a reply.  Several have told me about fair use, but just like my husband, say that Graceland is a stickler on copyright.   I still wish I could find the rest of the postcards that I bought while I was there.

I am off for this week, but I do hope to see lots of you link up this week.

WIP Wednesday--Finally A Couple Days of Sewing

Whew!  The holidays are over and the craziness of trying to get gifts done and such.  I feel like it had been forever since I got to sit down in front of my sewing machine.
I finally got in a couple days of making it in for some sewing.

I was able to get 2 rows and part of a row done on my flower print quilt.  I had hoped I could have it done by Friday for the TGIFF post, but there is just no way.

 This is how far I am so far on the quilt top for sewing club at church:

 I am working through my yarn and plastic canvas stash by making double thick crocheted hotpads and matching coasters.  This will be a work as I can project......I really am ready to delve into making rugs while I sit and do things on the computer instead.  I'm sure I will bounce back and forth as usual.

 Pretty short report for this week but I am about to run out the door and run a couple of errands.  As soon as I get home I really want to get in to my sewing machine!

I am linking up with the following blogs:
 

Homeschool Journey--Still On Christmas Break

 I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and I hope your new year is off to a good start.


We've still been on Christmas break this past week.  I don't have any photos to share this week.


The usual things happened like attending church.  Christmas morning church was wonderful as we sang a lot of Christmas hymns in place of several things in the service.  We had a guest pastor (one of our own out of seminary and waiting on a call).  His sermon was on the timeline of Christmas.  It was quite interesting and he did it with congregation participation.  She attended her youth group meeting on Wednesday evening.  Other than that, she has spent a lot of time with friends....overnights.


Jasmine got out a diet and fitness journal just before Christmas and has read it and studied it cover to cover.  She says it's not a diet, but a lifestyle change.  As far as food the first changes I am helping her make is buying skim milk and low fat cheese.  She received a bicycle for Christmas from my husband.  She's not missed many days of going out and doing a little riding, despite her bad knee.  We've been fortunate to have weather mostly in the 50's as of late.  The next step is to get the exercise equipment back out of the closet downstairs so she can work on it daily.  You can also learn to maintain a healthy body and mind with these health and fitness related schools. My daughter and her boyfriend came and got a lot of their stuff out of the basement, so there is room to get the equipment back out now.


I'm always changing something in the way we homeschool.  Nothing new here, I've been changing and changing again since I started homeschooling my children in 1998.  I started this week by sitting down and writing out assignments for Jasmine for the week.  I used to do this all the time, especially when I was homeschooling 3 of the children at once.  Jasmine and I haven't ever done this since it's just been her left to teach.  What I am writing down are things she can do on her own when I am busy away from home, or we are away from home together, or on my husband's days off work.  This will help to ensure that a lot more school work gets done each week.


I'm going to hop along now...we have to be off to the DMV to get her ID and then to the post office to apply for her passport.  Then it's off to Bible study and after that a trip to the library to get books.  Please pray that she gets her passport in time to make the trip to England in March!!

Shop Hop Saturday--New Year's Edition

It's that time of year to really re-think goals...at least for most of it is.
After pretty much concentrating on Christmas the past couple of weeks, I'm more than ready to get myself back in to some sort of a normal routine.

There are my goals---not all having to do with "business"
1.  Clean and re-organize my house--and keep it that way.  This means putting things back where they belong, getting rid of excess that just isn't needed, and more.

2.  Quit smoking---easier said than done, but something I really need to be able to accomplish.

3.  Make my goal of reaching a minimum made online of $600 per month--this total includes the value of items that I get free for review and such.

4.  To reach #3 I need to be active in squidoo each and every day.  I need to keep up with working on my crafts and sewing daily.  I need to learn about different affiliates and how those programs work.  It also means better ways of getting the word out about the things I am doing online.

5.  Learn to say no when asked to do things outside of the home.  When I say yes, and doing so takes me away from home for hours at a time, my whole day ends up feeling like a waste.  Of course there are exceptions but it's been crazy.  Take me here, take me there.....

6.  Each Sunday I am going to make a list of school assignments for Jasmine.  These will be expected to be done by the end of the week.  These will be things for her to do on her own, in her own time, but preferably the times when I can't be sitting one on one with her for schoolwork.

I'm sure there are more things that I can list that I'm not thinking about right now.  No, I'm not going to go over this list in my blog over and over.  I may occasionally talk about the goals in with my regular posting however.

So...let's see.  I finally made it back into my sewing room 2 days ago after almost 2 weeks of no sewing.  I still hope to make it in there tonight, at least for some ironing and cutting to get ready for sewing.

I did post one item in my etsy shop--another set of the billowing blues washcloths.

I want to tell you about the Sweetheart Celebration coming up.  Time is getting close on being able to get your spot for just $5!!!  Please click the button on the side for more information.  I need to get myself better prepared for it.

I will be taking part in DNBuster and Friends Valentines Giveaway her blog.  You may also click the button on the side to find out more information about that.

I have one current giveaway up for Natural House cleaners.  If you haven't already, please enter to win.

I made a new page here on my blog.  It's Hand Made in 2012 (linky).  If you post with instructions on hand made items (including food), or you have made an item that you gave as a gift, please post to the linky.  I want to see LOTS of link ups and lots of inspiration.  Posts can be old or new, and do not need to be blog posts.  They can be posts at hubpages, redgage, squidoo, gather, etc etc.  You can also list you etsy or other stores where you sell hand made items.

I still have book reviews to catch up on here on my blog....music reviews and giveaways to get done, and more.
But, I am going to quit rambling for this week and spend the evening with my hubby for new year's eve.



Myspace Happy New Year Comments

TGIFF--What Can You Make With a $2 Sheet

Whew! I must apologize! I've had these things made for a month and I keep letting Friday slip by me without getting a Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday post in.

I wanted to share the things that I made with a $2 Dora sheet that I bought at a yard sale. It was a nice, like new, thicker sheet and I couldn't pass up buying it! My intention was to make just Dora fabric bags with it, but then I seen child's quilt.

This quilt was the first time I've ever tried hand quilting. I hand quilted around the pictures on the fabric as well as I hand sewed the edges as well. It took quite awhile to get it done.

Here is the finished quilt, with a matching pillow:

 Here is a close-up of some of the stitch work:

I also was able to make 2 fabric bags:

All leftover material I cut into strips.  These strips will be used in a bright colored toothbrush rug.  I have the strips ready to start on the rug, just not sure when I will get to that.  There was also a pillowcase with the sheet but I'm choosing to let the granddaughters share it on their pillows.

I also want to note---the pillow insert used for the Dora pillow was given to me by a lady at church.  My mom's friend gave me the quilted backing piece used on the quilt.  I did buy pink thread to sew with for $2.07 at Wal Mart.  I already had the pink cotton thread that I stitched with.  It was in with several used rolls my daughter had given me.
In total for less than $5, I was able to make these things.  I love it!!

I also want to note that the fabric bags, as well as the quilt were sold in my etsy store about as soon as I listed them.

I am working on squares for a quilt.  I do hope to have it completed by this time next Friday to post again!

Frugal Friday Link Up--5 Uses for Mayonnaise

It's Friday, and time to link up your frugal posts for the week. It's also almost the new year! Is one of your goals for the new year to live a more frugal life? To save more money? To get more organized?

For me, I've always tried to live a frugal life, both out of necessity as well as it's a lifestyle that I enjoy. I've been thinking about it more and more lately as there are some goals that I have for things I would like to buy. My goal shopping list includes laptops for both my daughter and myself, cubby organizers for my craft room, a van, and a camper. The last 2 will really require saving money in other places to be able to afford them.

Being online is wonderful. There are so many freebies out there to help with the money saving venture. Then there are the products that I get to review as a blogger. Items we can use, as well as items I can use as gifts. I'm set on laundry detergent for quite awhile, thanks to getting in laundry detergent from both Purex and Tide for review.

I hope the tips I share throughout the year from the 99 Cent Solutions book help in our efforts to save money and e more frugal. It's amazing what every day products that we usually already have in our house can do. Using this everyday stuff instead of going out and buying specific products is a real money saver.

Today I am sharing 5 ways to use mayonnaise:

1. Take crayon off of polished wood. If the children got a little crayon crazy on your varnished maple table, just rub on a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise with a paper towel and let it sit. Rub again and wa lah! the markes are gone.

2. Take the sap off our your auto paint. Sap is usually very hard to get off of your car with just soap and water, and you don't want to use anything abrasive and mess up the paint job. Rub a generous amount of mayonnaise directly on the sap deposits and let it sit for 10 minutes. Use a soft, absorbent rag to remove both the mayonnaise and the sap, then wash the car as usual. The same treatment will remove road tar that accumulates on the fenders.

3. Photo worthy houseplants. Dip a paper towel in mayonnaise and rub each leaf. Polish it off with another paper towel and the leaves will have a gleaming, deep-green shine for months.

4. Soften ragged cuticles. If your nails looks rough and ragged, don't soak them in dish detergent, instead put them in a dish of mayo for 5 minutes and then wipe them with a paper towel. Trim your nails while they are a bit softer from the soak, and use an orange stick to push back the raggedy cuticles. Wash your hands with warm water, put on some lotion, and your hands will look like you just had a fancy manicure.

5. Two-for-one hair and skin treatment. Condition both your hair and smooth your face at the same time with a mayonnaise treatment. Massage the mayo into your dry hair and scalp, then wrap it in a towel or put on a shower cap. While your hair rests in it's treatment, spread a thin layer of mayo over your freshly washed face. Avoid the eye area when doing this. Lie down with a couple of damp tea bags or cucumber slices over your eyes for 15 minutes and then step right into the shower to wash it all off. You will feel like you just came back from the salon. (in my experience, it takes several washings to remove the greasy effect of the mayonnaise)(when I worked for the Headstart program and we had the headlice outbreak, it was suggested to parents to put mayo in the child's hair and put on a shower cap overnight to suffocate the lice. It seemed to really work and a lot less expensive than the over the counter lice treatments, not to mention much safer for the child)

Until next week, I want to wish you all a:


Happy New Year Glitter Pictures

Squidoo Hopping--Copyright Question

Good Thursday morning.
Let's start with my question.

While looking through some old papers I found one of the old postcards I had bought while visiting Graceland. I intended to scan it and put the picture in my Elvis lens. My husband is telling me that since the postcard is copyrighted that I can't put it in my lens. He says I need to contact Graceland and get permission.
Well, since that whole copyright thing is pretty much above my head---can I, or can't I scan it and put the picture of it on my lens? Thanks. (So many of the pictures I put in with my lenses I get from the internet, mostly from wikipedia---I don't even have a clue if this is ok, but if I don't get photos from the internet just where am I to get them to go along with my lenses??)

Now, I have been working to update lenses. Some of them I opened to see about the donations module (which last I checked is still MIA)
Here is the list of lenses that I updated:
Legos
Grandma's Christmas Wishlist
Crash! Book Review
WWJD for Kidz
Kansas Our First Lapbook
Elvis Presley

I am stopping here this week. I hope several will have input on my copyright question, as well as link up below (remember I am now allowing you to link directly to one or two of your lenses if you don't blog about squidoo.)