Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Dogs

The weather has been really nice here the past few days. My son and I were cleaning the house on Sunday (well, he was working to earn money, I was doing laundry and making clipboards) and I noticed how funny and different my two dogs are.


Here's K'Ehleyr....she's happy as a clam to lay outside and soak up the rays. Not so fun when she comes in covered with dead grass on your freshly vacuumed floor...










And here's Mopsa....who rarely leaves my side. She wants in the moment she goes out. She follows us around, or lays in a spot and watches the action.



She's not spoiled. Ha.




Thanks to all of you who voted in the poll....It's a record....15! Now if I could just get more than 3 comments...hm.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Crafty Weekend


I got some crafting accomplished this weekend. My pictures are positively awful, but there ya go.
Here is the first in another BOM (Block of the Month) from Willowberry Designs called Verandah Views.








Here is my clipboard. It is my first Mod Podge foray (I want it to be called Modge Podge)
I used the pages from an old dictionary and on the front used the "M" and the "R" for mine and hubby's names....awww....idn't that cute?
Here's the back...."C" and "A" for my kids' names...although the real "C" page inadvertently got glued behind the background page. Oops!
Here's another using Robert Frost poems, though I don't like it near as much.
I got the idea from Jennifer over at Sewhooked....check out that wall!!

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Compassion


Meet my new friend!
A few months ago, I won a little giveaway over at Ree's (right!? I know). I say little, but this is big! A few Bloggers went on a tripto Costa Rica a few months back with Compassion International to meet the children they sponsor. I made some new bloggy friend through reading about their experiences, and it prompted me to want to sponsor a child. It was just before Christmas and so I was going to wait until after the first of the year to see if I could manage it. Before that happened, I was chosen to do this through no cost of my own. I finally got my sponsorship package in the mail yesterday, and I am very excited. They wanted me to sponsor an older child because they rarely get chosen, and I was happy to doso, so my young man is 18 and lives in Ethiopia. I can't wait to get the correspondence going.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Cutest Blog on the Block

As you know, I've been fiddling/waffling about the look of my blog. I decided to check out the website that lots of people are using (even though the name of it has been putting me off). I found this great background, though it was really dark with the template I had, so I changed it back to my old template, and I think I like it, what do you think!?

Have a lovely weekend!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Stress

Stress is my new friend (again). I know everything will work out the way it's supposed to. But we have quite a few changes that will be taking place in our lives in the next few months. Actually, I'm OK with this now. Tuesday I needed a Valium.
Hubby and I were talking tonight and he said "You and I are 'supposed to' people." We do things because we're supposed to. He's right, and it's an interesting phenomenon that all people aren't like that. And honestly quite infuriating. It seems to be becoming more rampant, anyone else notice that? My daughter is definitely not a 'supposed to' person. My blood boils when I think about it. But I'm not going to get off on that.

p.s. The guy says there's an electrical problem with my sewing machine and it's not worth fixing. It's not even a year old. He said he'd be happy to show me some machines in their shop. Yeah, I just bet he would! He said this about my last one. We're going to go get it and pack both of them up and get a second opinon. No, I haven't finished the pants yet. And all I have left are the cuffs. Too busy reading the last Harry Potter.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Class

We had a great class discussion this evening on our preconceived ideas, prejudices, biases, toward ethnic groups, sexism, low SES, high SES, disability groups, parental involvement, etc. It was good.
What wasn't good is that they've started construction on the highway I use to get to school. Sigh. They are widening it, I assume, so this will be an ongoing issue, so I'm trying to just accept it and know that it's going to take me longer. I have a poll about this issue, please vote in the sidebar if you'd like.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Late Valentines

Hello all! I'm sorry about my absence of late, last week was super busy. I had nine, count 'em *nine* IEP meetings in one week, we had parent/teacher conferences until 7:00 on Thursday night, and I was exalted. That's what my daughter used to say....she couldn't say exhausted, it was exalted. I love it. My professor also decided to post a twenty page article at 1:42 pm she wanted us to read before class that afternoon. Oh yeah, and there were tornadoes everywhere.
Here are the Valentine gifts! hubby wanted some new soft towels and a Red Hot Chili Peppers CD, and I wanted new headphones and that giant Toblerone. Yum!
I also got a Target card and these other two $10 coupons in the mail, so I might get motivated enough to go shop.
The problem is, I'm in "reading mode." I'm in a Flickr group called
The 25 Book Challenge for 2009, and I decided to re-read the entire Harry Potter series. I've read the first four at least two times each, but the last three I've only read once, and I have forgotten the majority of them, so I am frantically trying to get through them. I'm also an end reader, as you might remember, though I've restrained myself this time, as I do remember at least that everyone (well, the three main characters) survive. I'm on number six, so life should get back to semi-normal after that. Then I'll have to start on my three presentations for class and the 18-25 page paper....
So, I'll try to be better this week! No school today for President's Day...more time to read! Yay!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Friday, February 6, 2009

My First Embroidery

Ok, well first embroidery since I was a little girl and my precious Grandmother was teaching me. I guess some things kinda stick with you...like guitar lessons from my youth (Thanks Momma and Daddy!). When my son started learning this summer, I was shocked at how my fingers could still find notes!
Anyway, this block is finished. While it looks like a Valentiney treat, it is actually a BOM for a Christmas quilt. BOM=Block of the Month, though for me it'll probably mean something more like Big Ol' Mess! I will be starting this one next, which is also a BOM.
Any one embroidery? How do you feel about hoops, stabilizer on the back? Any other ideas/suggestions?

OH! And I was searching through old posts yesterday and I discovered to my horror that I am an exclamation point person! I mean, it's ok to be an exclamation point person in the body of the post, but I have an outlier number worth of post titles that have exclamation points at the end. I'll try to restrain myself! ! ! !

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Leather Tuscadero

I have this thing about funny words. Sometimes a random word or phrase pops into my head and I repeat it throughout the day, kind of like Elf saying "Francisco...." I always thought Leather Tuscadero from Grease had a great ring to it. I was kind of talking about this with my son the other day because he has to chose a song for his English class to analyze. I won't tell you what he thought would be a funny one, but it's by ACDC. Not appropriate. I was thinking more of songs that have a meaning to them, so I came up with The Flight of Icarus, by Iron Maiden. He thought that was funny. He kept saying "Flight of Icarus...." like Will Ferrell. Other things I find interesting or fun to say are: liaison, module,Tom Bombadil, quixotic, Uruk Hai, sagacious, Hedwig, rubric, oh there are hundreds more I'm sure of that I can't think of right now. Maybe I'll add them in the comments as I think of them and I'll actually have a lot of comments on a post and I'll feel all special! What words do you like to say?
Speaking of special....I have been nominated for a couple of awards recently. I don't mean to take my ball and go home, but I've decided not to participate in awards. But, consider you, my reader, nominated. If you would like to participate, bop on over and get the button from one of these two lovely ladies!

Monday, February 2, 2009

Weekend

I was a busy bee (worky-work, busy-bee!~funny commercial) this weekend. I finished the quilt for my MIL. I don't care for the colors, but the quilting I did turned out well.

No news on my sewing machine that's in the shop. I've been using my old one, and it's hanging in there.

I worked on my pants a little, as well. I just need to do the cuffs now. I'm not feeling it this evening, though. I just want to curl up and start the fourth Harry Potter (again).












Like I need something else to try.....I downloaded this free pattern and started on it. So cute!

















I saw this idea from Jennifer, and it's been ruminating in my head. I have no wall to cover at this point, but I think I'm going to try it on a clipboard, so I scoured the Goodwill stores for some books to destroy. I got all three of these plus two paperbacks to read for $6.50. I was compelled to straighten the books as I browsed. Must have been that first job in a bookstore.


I love books, don't you?

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Warming My Cockles

I've seen two things in computer-land that have brought tears to my eyes today....
This news story. And these videos of my blogger friends deaf/Deaf son, who has a CI. Check 'em out, and remember how blessed you truly are!

p.s. I won the fight with the evil machine! We'll see if my pants get done! :)