Wednesday, June 25, 2008

This has nothing to do with crafting but I need to talk

I stopped to fill the tank on my car for the week Monday night. It was late, I was tired. I filled the tank and headed inside to pay. A man starts walking towards me holding a baby saying "Ma'am, Ma'am". I realized he was talking to me and I looked up to see him standing right in front of me holding the pretty little girl about 4-5 months old. He asked if I could please help his family get some gas for their truck. They were from Muskogee and trying to get to Tulsa. He said they were out of gas and the water pump had gone out. I asked where his truck was and he pointed to a mangled up old pickup with a woman standing beside it and a little boy in the back seat. There was a stream of water coming from under the truck and out to the parking lot. I said ok. I went inside, paid for my gas and then handed the clerk a couple of gift cards I had and asked how much was left on them. It totaled about ten dollars. I asked if he knew what the deal was with the people asking for money in the parking lot. He didn't. I walked out and over to the pickup and handed the man both cards and told him there was about ten dollars on the cards. He thanked me and God Blessed me and the woman got back in the truck and the man started putting the baby in the car seat. I drove off and got a couple of blocks and thought I would go back and give them what little cash I had with me. When I got back in less than 2 minutes to the QT, they were gone. They were beside me on the street going the wrong way to be going to Tulsa.
I had been duped. Why can't I just keep on walking? Why do people think it is their right to basically rip people off? This has bothered me for a couple of days now. I know I have to let it go but I really don't know how.

Monday, June 23, 2008

It REALLY is SO easy!






About 30 years ago, I used to watch my friend Nancy make these pot holders. I was just learning to crochet and she made this look so easy. She would tell me "it's so easy". Well maybe for her it was so easy but my brain kept saying that looks sooooo hard.

Friday I was doing my daily blog reading and she was talking about working on some potholders. I followed the links and saw the picture of the ones Nancy used to make. I proceeded to print off the pattern and last night sat down and decided I was going to try it out. I didn't read through the pattern, I just started making it. In a few minutes it was like a light bulb came one and out loud I heard myself say it - this is so easy.


Why did I never try this before? I am always looking for a potholder. I have 3 but they always seem to be hiding from me. In just a few minutes, I had 2 more using up some of the yarn I bought to make the cup holders that I am now bored with.





Monday, June 16, 2008

For Baby Lu

When Brenna was expecting Lucy, she picked out this theme for her baby room. It's getting close to time for Lucy to make the big step to her room so I thought I better get busy. I had picked up the material for curtains before she was born but just couldn't bring myself to buy the pre-made quilt. I just didn't like it. I don't suppose it really mattered if I liked it or not. It wasn't for me, it was for Lucy. I finally bought it and I am really glad I did. I had no idea at the time that no matter how much I wanted to "make" her a quilt that I would have no time to do so. I carried it around with me for a couple of months and finally a week or so ago, as I was laying in bed not wanting to get up and go to work again, I pulled back the little blankie that was Angela's when she was a baby almost 26 years ago. It was once a pre-made quilt and she loved it and now I have it by me every night. So I picked it up the one I had been carrying around for Lucy and worked at putting the binding on it. It took just a few hours and it is finished (as you can see, I had a little help).

WHY am I so stubborn? I never think anything is going to be good enough to give to someone. Brenna loved it and some day, Lucy will be dragging it around behind her and she will love it too.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Home Sweet Home Apron - for me


I went to the post office yesterday and look what was waiting there for me. I got a package from Cynthia, all the way from Tennessee. She might be one of my long lost relatives since my people came from Tennessee.


I know she must have esp because she made it my very favorite color combination and she embroidered my very favorite of on the pocket!!!!




I am looking forward to trying out the punch recipe she sent too!
Her daughter named the apron Home Sweet Home and I think that is just a great name.

Thank you Cynthia, I love my new apron!!




Saturday, June 7, 2008

Suggestions???????


A month or so ago, I must have had a minute or two to get bored because I cut what was left of these fabrics from the first quilt a long Amanda Jean did into small squares.



I think they are 2 1/2" squares. I packed them all neatly into small school box and have been carrying them around with me in the car. I am sure I thought I would do something with them.

It has crossed my mind that I thought I would just make some nine patch blocks by hand and put them together for a nice little quilt. That seems a little boring though. It also crosses my mind that maybe I thought I would turn them into those little things that make a grandma's flower garden. I really like those but don't have a clue how to do it.

Any ideas from you what the would be good for? Or better yet, can you tell me how to make those little stop sign looking things?

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Summer Sassy Apron Swap

I have to admit that I didn't make the apron for the swap. Since being handmade is the requirement and not necessarily handmade by me, I joined Sassy Apron Swap again. I really enjoy these swaps and hope Lucy likes doing them as much.

I bought this apron and dish towel from Thevillagegiraffe on etsy and I really hope my swap partner likes it. I did make a coordinating dishcloth to go with it and sent THE BEST punch recipe you will ever try.

I asked a friend in my office to "model" it so I could post it but she asked not to have her face shown.

Monday, June 2, 2008

I'm on a roll

Or I have lost my marbles. I'm not sure which.
Back in the day when my kids were little, Quik Trip had squarts. For their 50th anniversary, they sold them again. I bought 2 thinking this would help me get the water I am trying to drink in. I like that they have a lid and a straw and they are reusable. I admit it, I am addicted to QT tea but not all of the plastic cups that I really don't like to keep and have to throw away them away daily was making me feel guilty. I have given up the water bottle habit and gone to the filtered water pitcher. The first day, I remembered what I didn't like about squarts. They sweat. They sweat A LOT. I also remembered that I didn't like it back then either and made myself a squart koozie like I had done before.
I walked into my brand new QT close to my house and the young guy working there commented that he liked what I did with the squart. He said he would pay me to make him one. I told him it wasn't necessary and asked what color he would like. The one I had looked like rainbow sherbet and kind of frilly.
His eyes lit up and he said blue and black so I went to get the colors he requested and made it a little more manly. When I took it in to him, he was busy so I just dropped it off and went about getting my tea. The next thing I know, he is talking loudly about how cool it is and telling someone to make sure I don't leave. He brings a girl who works there to me and says "This is her, this is the lady I told you about." Then he tells me that she wants one too and hands me some money and says to not even think about not taking it. He keeps saying "This is so cool, I hate the way the cups sweat." I asked the girl what color she want and she tells me blue and green. Here I go back to my least favorite place to get some more thread. She loved hers too.

I had actually started making one to fit the QT cups for a girl at work who is also addicted to the tea and carries it around with her from office to office leaving little puddles everywhere she goes.

My daughter B liked it and I gave her the sherbet colored one I had made first since she needed a squart too. Then there needed to be one for grandson C I used the blue and black and made a different design for his. Next came a call from my son in law J asking for an orange one.


My niece saw those and wanted a pink one then her 3 year old said he needed blue.


Someone at the night job saw me working on them and asked for a green one.
Then Saturday, I had 4 other people ask for one.


The girls at my day job wanted one so I've made 3 there. I've created a monster.


I still don't have one for myself. I just "test" the one I just made each time.
I have to admit, it is fun to be able to crank something out in a short amount of time and for little money and be useful.

I thought about selling them on etsy but I see that there are already a few people doing that so I will just keep on doing what I do and if someone wants to pay me for them, I will let them and if they don't I'll just give it to them.