Change of plans

Tyler's quilt was the only project I was able to complete over the weekend

This is the last of the Christmas quilts I needed to finish before the holiday's!

We had a change of plans for our girls weekend, my buddy from out of town wanted to check out some of the garage sales Saturday morning for baby furniture, she is expecting her first Grand so they will be needing everything. With road construction, a fall festival that will be going on until Dec 1 over the weekends, and the regular heavy traffic on a weekend it took us close to 2 hours to get to Daughter #1 neighborhood. On a normal day it's a 20 minute drive grrrr. My buddy was able to pick up the entire nursery suite, crib, youth bed, changing table, dresser, cradle along with the bedding and nursery decorations for under $350.00!!!! What a deal, we got on line when we finally got back home to check the original prices, she scored $2,500.00 worth of baby fixins, what a deal. After the ridicules drive back home we ran into some neighbors she hasn't seen in years so we hung out on the street corner an additional 3 or 4 hours catching up while we waited for her Daughter to bring a truck and trailer down to pick up the bounty. After hours more of driving we finally settled in at 8:00PM after leaving the house at 8:00AM. I had Kara Sunday in the afternoon so I'm thinking I was lucky to have gotten a single thing done. That's just the way it goes sometimes, but at least we got in lots of catching up and solved all the worlds problems while driving around. Then it was back in the car for my Birthday party and dinner our girls planned for me.

Monday started off on the wrong foot as well, I watched Karsyn while Daughter #3 took Kara to the Dr for the rest of her shots. The fella's showed up to install the hardwoods as soon as I got her down for her morning nap. Sorry Charlie you are scheduled for Tuesday morning, I hadn't moved a single piece of furniture out and had to unload the ton of glassware in the curio cabinet. On top of all of that I had my first software class Monday night for the embroidery machine, if I didn't take that class I would have to wait an additional 8 months to start a new session. After class last night I got the living room unloaded of furniture and all the extras. Thankfully I don't have any more relaxing weekends coming up, I don't think I could handle another one anytime soon, HA

While the guys are working today I will finish up a purse I was able to cut out Sunday then work on my to do list for the week. I already know it will be a week of frustration due to the traffic problems we have been having along with a NASCAR race thrown in that will start on Wednesday and run until Sunday. The one thing I can do is to improve my attitude which needs to change!!!!!

Bring on the weekend

The house is as clean as it will be getting for now, I don't want to wear myself out before our girls weekend starts tonight!! One thing I planned on doing but didn't get to was to organizing the bedroom I have been storing (shoving) Christmas gifts, to bad to sad, I'm over it. Next week the Christmas stash will be first on my to do list. I have both little girls today I'm thinking Nanny will work in a nap when they go down so I will be ready to rock come time to start up our machines this evening. I've knocked around a lot of different projects that I thought about working on. I've decided to finish up Tyler's quilt along with the 2 tree skirts I started earlier in the week, boring but I'm thinking maybe with company it will go faster. I have a back up plan if I get too board of cutting out a quilt for ME!! I will try and remember to take a few pictures of our creations over the weekend if I can find the camera under the piles of fabric that is sure to be spread over the entire downstairs. Have you done something for you lately? Moms tend to put their wants on the back burner to ensure everyone else has their fun, find some time for YOU!!!

I made the time yesterday to play with Christmas scraps

I saw a photo of a mug rug at sweetwaterstreet.com that was just to cute, so I gave it a try. I used grommets instead of buttons as they had done because I hate to sew on buttons. I'm thinking I need to order the labels they sell to finish them off, however I might just embroidery some sort of Christmas thing instead (use what you got)

Our wood has been delivered for installation next week, not sure how they expect me to unload the glass from the curio cabinet when they stacked the boxes in front of it.

I completed all but one of my to do's yesterday but I'm not gonna beat myself up over it. Getting a drivers licence took 2 1/2 hours, that's my excuse for not mopping the downstairs, of course it is now the number one thing on today's top 10 to do's. Then I was off to replace bobbins for the embroidery machine that my husband stepped on and broke when he was home, I was able to get in and out without purchasing any fabric, that doesn't happen often, take away another 2 hours of the day driving to and from the quilting store. I was pleasantly surprised that the DMV folks were not as nasty as they usually are but it makes me wonder is waiting in line over 2 hours what our new Obama health care plan will look like if it doesn't get repealed?

Today I have 10 more to do's that will take up the day and evening, I have Karsyn today so many things will have to wait until she goes home to Mommy. A biggy for me yesterday was getting the freezers cleaned out. I now have my list of things we are getting low on so I can start clipping coupons again and watching the sales, fall is a great time to stock up on baking items. We are down to 8 pounds of butter, the last time I bought butter was in the fall last year. Our beef is holding out pretty well, we will have plenty to last until Jan. or Feb. when I pick up our side of beef from the local farm, ditto on pork. The best part of all was to see I didn't have anything mysterious buried in the freezers!! We do have 2 1/2 gallons of ice cream I need to send home with the kids, now that we make our own we have no need for the store bought stuff.

Off to pick up baby Karsyn and a fun filled day of getting it all done so I can enjoy our girls weekend of creating.

Tyler's Christmas quilt is coming along, another 5 or 6 hours should finish it up

I cut out 2 tree skirts yesterday (got board quilting) then cut up some of the scraps for a cute extra project, maybe today I can play around with it all.

Free motion quilting takes forever! I am close to 1/2 way done on Tyler's quilting, I got board with the whole deal and walked away for a few hours yesterday, I hope to finish up today if time allows. I have the pleasure of renewing my drivers license today. I say that in jest, the folks at DMV must have training in being nasty to customers or maybe they naturally seek out such mean people. Then it's back home to at least get a start on some housework, Son-In-Law #2 came by last night to remove the 2 chairs I wanted to get rid of along with some dust bunnies we found the family silver! Really I'm not kidding, when I converted the dinning room into a nursery/playroom for the little girls I must have shoved the silverware chest under the living room chair for safe keeping and forgot about it. Now to find a new hidy hole to put it in that I will remember so we can use it for the holiday's.

Carla over at 1/2 dozen daily had a great post on to do lists yesterday, check it out on my side bar. Here are my 10 to do's today.

1.) Drivers license renewed

2.) Bank to deposit refund checks

3.) Post office

4.) Clean out refrigerator/freezer inside

5.) Clean out pantry

6.) Work on Tyler's quilt until I get board again

7.) Make cute project I found on line using Christmas scraps

8.)Vacuum & Mop downstairs

9.) Clean guest bathroom

10.) Clean Guest bedroom

Oh Christmas Tree

Pattern I ordered that was designed by one of the ladies that work at a local quilt shop. I love the simple design!

Can't have the pattern without the fabric to go with it right?

"Baby Bubba's" quilt is FINISHED!! I used the same flannel giraffe print as the binding and the back

First off for some reason I can't make comments on my own comment section of the blog, what the heck? Maybe with a little more sleep I can figure it out, see the time on this post..2:40 AM as in the middle of the night, the menopause thing is going strong tonight. GRRR

Yesterday I finally got around to running to the quilt store to pick up a pattern I ordered a few weeks back, of course I couldn't leave well enough alone so I picked up the fabric used in the pattern. For those of you that are scrapbookers doesn't this fabric look like the same pattern as some Bo Bunny paper from a few years back? I think I will leave the pattern and fabric on the kitchen counter so I can get right on it as soon as I finish the baby quilts for Christmas. I found 2 other super cute ideas to use this fabric for as well, I have a love hate relationship with the whole wheels turning deal. As with everything in life so many ideas so little time!! We have our girls craft weekend at my house this week, maybe the tree skirt and at least on of the idea's can be accomplished. Somebody better get busy cleaning this house up, company is a coming!! Oh yea that would be me :(

I was able to finish "Baby Bubba's" Christmas quilt yesterday between trips to the shop and a few other errands, now on to Tyler's "Cheater Quilt" today although I soooo want to work on the Christmas tree skirt! I also have a Birthday gift I need to get finished in the next week or so. It's time to prioritize my to do list once again or I will be pulling a few all nighters in the near future.

Our wood for the new floors will be delivered today, yepee! Thankfully we have no need to use the living room over the weekend, I will set whoever can make it in the kitchen, breakfast room and family room. One of the gals that well be coming is going to use my embroidery machine to finish all of her Christmas gifts this weekend, how cool is that! All handmade gifts finished by October and on a frugal budget Debbie P you are my crafting hero.

I will be back after I get some sleep (I hope) with Tyler's completed Christmas quilt (maybe) and at least one room in the house cleaned (dream on)

Sweet Deal

Yesterday after hubby headed back north I set up the sewing machine and began working away at "Baby Bubba's" quilt, just as I was getting into a good rhythm Daughter #1 called to see if I would shop for a dining room set with her. The answer I wanted to give was no, however that's not what we Mom's do, so I responded "Sure head on over we will hit the warehouse sale"

I am REALLY not a shopper, to me shopping is making a list of what we need, investigating the best deals around then going in for the kill and getting the heck out. Daughter #1 is a SHOPPER, to her shopping is entertainment, I knew my day was doomed.

We live in the furniture capital of the US area, there is no need to pay full price for anything furniture related!! This time of year is the end of the market showcase so you can get pretty good deals on odds and ends from last years market samples. The clerk let us know right off that their inventory was low but the new sample pieces would be in next week...humm could be some super deals I am thinking. I ran into the chair pictured above that was marked down from $1,099.00 to $699.00 also a nice chest of drawers that Daughter #2 needed for her bedroom that was marked down to under $300.00. Now the wheels were turning. I have been needing a new chair for the den for a few years now but my chair is so broken in that I haven't wanted to part with it. My sweet hubby who doesn't pay attention to much in the decorating department until Christmas time has been making fun of my poor old chair for awhile, today just might be the day to put the old girl to the curb. We didn't find a table and chairs that Daughter #1 was interested in but we did find a chair that was perfect for "Baby Bubba's" room at a great price.

I talked to the clerk a bit about the new shipment that was coming in then we got down to the prices listed on the pieces we were interested in. Right off the bat she took $50.00 off "Baby Bubba's" chair, OK sold, how about the chest of drawers? Yep $50.00 off as well. We loaded the chair into Daughter #1 SUV for her hubby to unload then I was back at the store for the chest in my SUV for Daughter #2. By the time I returned to the store I was ready to make a move for the leather chair if the deal was sweet. It took a call to the owner who was still at the furniture market but I got the price of the chair down to $550.00!! That's half off, well worth the money. Of course the chair, ottoman and chest wouldn't all fit in my car so after 2 trips back to the store and lots of lifting and moving of furniture at home AJ the beagle and I settled in for the night in our new chair.

I had moved the old chair and ottoman to the kitchen until I can get it to Daughter #1 house next weekend for their neighborhood yard sale, seems AJ the beagle doesn't care for leather so she spent the evening in our favorite chair alone in the kitchen. I have hopes that once the old chair is out of the house AJ will take a liking to the new one so we will have a place to snuggle at night together. I am contemplating unloading a few more big pieces of furniture around the house this morning, we have accumulated to much over the years that we have no use for and are just taking up space. I'm thinking a pot of chicken and dumplins could coax the Son-In-Laws to haul it all to the garage sale.

Hitting the mark

My goal for September was to save one full paycheck out of the 3 we would be receiving in September. We meet our goal and a tiny bit more!! After playing around with some numbers last night I figured out what I think we will need for the next 2 weeks and transferred the rest to savings!! How you ask did you meet such a lofty goal? I kept my happy rump at home for the most part and lived off the overstuffed pantry other than milk and eggs. It seems to me September flew by, at the start of the month it seemed like a longgggg way to September the 30th, next thing I knew it was upon us.
With hubby home the past 2 weeks I was afraid the spending plan would be out the window and the goal would never be meet however we were so busy at home we didn't have any time to go crazy at the home improvement store and we stayed away from Wally world! The one purchase we made was to order hardwood floors for the living room, the wood will be delivered next week with instillation the following week. We have agreed we disagree on the hardwoods for the living room for a few years, I hate trying to keep the carpet cleaned hubby wants the soft warm feel of carpet. After the hardwoods are in I will be looking for a large area rug that is reasonably priced so we can have the best of both worlds. We used cash from his recent bonus to make the hardwood purchase, gave 10% of the money away then shoved the rest into savings, we don't need anything else and surprisingly we don't want anything else. It's funny now that we are in this be more frugal for close to a year deal we are enjoying what we have so much more and don't have a wish list a mile long like we have in the past!!!
I have worked on Octobers spending plan a bit this morning but October is such a crazy month I can't seem to land on a good plan. I do know if I don't go into the month with a plan money seems to slip away when I'm not looking. I decided to have next week as a no spend week (maybe) then revisit the spending plan next weekend. I have soooooo much to organize and sort around the house that being grounded for a week will be welcome!!!! Hubby was able to spend all day yesterday in the garage doing a big clean out with visits in to see the little girls and I now and then when he needed a break. I must admit I was jealous of what all he accomplished and very surprised at what he gave up and took to the dump. I will have my turn at a clean out Monday in the spare bedroom, our Christmas pile has outgrown the closet, filled the bed and is flowing onto the floor. I know I am not done Christmas shopping but I have a heck of a good start. I now need to organize what I have, make a list of what more we need then watch the sales. I'm thinking a week of taking stock around the house will help clear my mind for Octobers spending plan. Expect next weeks posts to be about organizing, donating, and finishing up some sewing projects that need to be finished and one that I want to try.
Off to enjoy one last day with my better half on our first REAL fall day, its cool with a brisk north wind perfect for a fresh loaf of bread, a pot of soup and something sinful for desert