A day at home!

Cheap trick for Daughter #1 porch, spray painted plastic pumpkins

Today's to do, organize Christmas gifts and make my list of what's still needed.

For the first time in a long time I can stay at home today!! No errands, running around with the little ones or plans outside the house. I'm thinking of spending the day in my PJ's while working on the spare room getting Christmas gifts organized. The mess on the bed is just the tip of the iceberg, the real problem is in the closet that will no longer close due to things spilling out. I have been dreading this job but today I am excited to get started. My hope is I have enough squirreled away that I won't have to do much more shopping. Hubby is headed home for Halloween, I have a day set aside while he is home to do what I hope will be the last of our Christmas shopping. Octobers budget is going to take a hit but I will be able to stay away from the stores and avoid some just to cute to pass up spending I seem to get sucked into once the real shopping season begins.

I went to the experts yesterday to get advice on balancing out the Harley tee shirt quilt, they agree I will need to add an additional column of tees then balance it out with a wider border on the sides than I will put on the top and bottom. The other suggestion was to do away with much of the bottom of the quilt which I'm not willing to do, I understand their point that it is so large he might not use it as planned but I want to keep all the shirts in the quilt. I picked out the backing while I was there but held off on purchasing it until I know for sure what the finished size will be. I know it will cost an arm and leg to get it quilted but we only give each other a few gifts so this will be his big gift, I now just need to order one more thing and he will be done. YAA

An additional reason for getting a jump on Christmas is "Baby Bubba" may arrive the Monday after Thanksgiving. Daughter #1 will need lots of extra help with her holiday decorating, shopping and cooking. Bubba is estimated to be another 10 pounder if he continues to grow at the same pace so he needs to come on into the world a little early. If my schedule will hold up as planned I can set back and work on Christmas stockings for the little ones while the world is swiping debit and credit cards the month of December.

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Will your family set a tighter budget for gift giving or exchange names for extended family for the first time?

Quilt in progress

I added little details to some of the blocks, like the tag from the back of the shirts

Added a few pockets here and there

I got what I thought was all the piecing and sashing done yesterday, looks like I will have to add more :(

I put it in high gear yesterday and kicked some butt around here. The biggest to do was getting the quilt for hubby pieced so I wouldn't have to relocate each square into another room before the little girls arrive today. I'm humming along at a good pace, taking breaks throwout the day to get little odds and ends done around the house and to break up the time at the sewing machine so I wouldn't get bored, it worked out well until..... When I finished the last column of sashing and laid the durn thing out I realized I had a tower of quilt squares, not a quilt at all. Back to the drawing board to add at least one more column or maybe two of tee shirts to balance it out. So far I have 32 tee's in the quilt, if I figure right it will take 18 or 19 more tee shirts to get it in balance then on to adding a border. All of the extra work will have to happen at a later time, I need to get back on track around the house and yard, pay some bills, make a list of additional fabric I need for the quilt and get a little organizing done. At least the majority of the work is done on the quilt, after I get it balanced out I will be taking it to a long arm quilter, no way am I going to even attempt to free motion quilt something this big.

I am not even bothering with a to do list today, I figure I will start in one room and work from room to room until the little girls arrive in the afternoon then get back on it when they leave. I have been spending a little to much time at the sewing machines an not nearly enough time on domestic endeavors lately. I have a sewing class again on Saturday so that will have to quench my sewing thirst for the week. I also have to fit in a custom ordered scrapbook before the 28th that I haven't even begun to work on.

Daughter #1 will be having an ultra sound today to determine the size of "Baby Bubba" he is due to arrive December 8th but Mommy is getting VERY large, we figure the Dr will schedule her C section early this time since her babies are going to be so close together. The month of December is crazy every year, this year will be a real challenge with the new arrival and Moms recovery time. I hope to get my ducks in a roll by the end of the month around here and for Christmas so I will have the time and energy to celebrate our newest arrival!! Thankfully the fall weather keeps me pumped up and ready for whatever comes our way, I love fall!!!

It's a start

Not much to show for 6 hours of class time!

The tee shirt quilt class was informative and well worth the $$ spent to learn the tricks of the trade however we never took our machines out of the cases :(. I felt so sorry for the instructor that no one was able to get a single thing pieced, the store takes great pride in their classes, rarely do you leave class with an unfinished project. The snag came in that we only had 3 irons and ironing boards for a class of 15. Each shirt had to have stabilizer ironed on once we did the first sloppy cut, lots of waiting around for a turn at the irons.

I was able to get a lot more done once I got home yesterday evening but I don't know how I will get around to piecing the quilt. I have the little girls for an extra day tomorrow so I will have to get the thing pieced or move and rearrange the squares into another room. Piecing a quilt was not on the 10 to do's list for today, time to drop back and punt I am thinking. I can only hope piecing the thing will go much more quickly than doing the cutting out!!!
The secret of the construction is using a mesh stabilizer in each quilt square, that is also the hidden cost that has put this quilt in the category of the most costly quilt to date. I've used $70.00 in stabilizer alone so far, grrr. If you were working with normal size shirts the cost would be cut in half I would think, however I am working with 2XL and 3XL shirts here folks so my quilt squares are 14 1/2 and 16 1/2 inches wide, the length varies in size according to the pattern on the shirts. To and a little interest I am cutting up a few shirt fronts with pockets and spent a crazy amount of time seam ripping some of the collars to use the Harley Davidson tag from the back. So far I unloaded around 30 tee shirts from hubby's closet to use, sad to say it didn't make much of a dent in his tee shirt stash but something is better than nothing right?

So here is my new plan of action for the day

1.) Give the house a lick and a promise

2.) Plant the garlic

3.) Finish painting the pumpkins for Daughter #1

4.) Throw something to eat in the crock pot

5.) Work my tail off on piecing the quilt so I don't have to start all over on the design

Action Packed Day

Kara found the perfect pumpkin for herself.

The giant pumpkins were her favorite.

Our little girls at Karsyn's 1st Birthday party, they are such good little buddies

Karsyn's party outfit was super cute but she wouldn't stand still so I could get a good photo

Cake and ice cream were a big hit

I don't usually blog on a Sunday morning but I am doing anything I can to prolong a little more time in bed with a cup of tea! Yesterday started out bright and early with a trip to the pumpkin patch with my sister and Daughter#3 family after breakfast out. Kara is really low key, she likes to hang back and watch whats going on without going nuts and running around (my kinda gal) She enjoyed the huge pumpkins on display, hated the farm animals, hayride was so so, wondering around the pumpkin patch was a bit dirty for her taste. I take Daughter #1 and family next weekend, it will be interesting to see how Karsyn reacts to her first trip at the patch.

Back home for a bit of sewing and spray painting plastic pumpkins for Daughter #1 porch then off to Karsyn's first Birthday party. Unlike Kara who is very low key and laid back, Karsyn is WIDE open, the kid never stops. Daughter #1 had her party at a play center that was worth every dime of whatever she paid the folks, they did a wonderful job of playing games for all age groups, dancing and enjoying snacks along with cupcakes and ice cream. It is such fun to see the little girls interact with other children most of whom were older, when they would see each other they would start laughing and head off together for a little girl time then off they went again in different directions, soooo darn cute!!

I need to get off my rump and begin packing for an 8 hour (I won't be staying that long) tee shirt quilting class. I'm excited to see how you officially make a tee shirt quilt, I made several years ago but I was just winging it. The tee shirt quilt will be a Christmas gift for hubby and even more importantly it will help unload the ridicules array of Harley tee shirts he has jammed in his closet. If all goes as planned I will be home early enough to get garlic planted that arrived in the mail yesterday and enjoy a quite evening at home with AJ the beagle.

Have a great Sunday, put away the to do list and do something fun!!

Here There and Everywhere

The photo's above are from Daughter #1 jewelery party last night, she has her house all decked out for Halloween, I don't. I am thinking I will pass on the Halloween decorating this year. I do have some really cute things I have collected or made over the years but the idea of dragging it all out of the attic just to pack it up again then pull down everything for Thanksgiving doesn't appeal to me. The little girls are to young to care, Tyler is so busy in his social life these days he isn't around much and I won't be home for the holiday as we spend it with our Daughters and the grands in their homes for Trick or Treating these days. I figure it is one less thing on my to do list. I might just pull down Thanksgiving/fall and leave it up longer. I'm getting slack.

I have had very little time at home this past week, other than Tuesday when the floor guys were here. I have had to be out and about since last Friday and I will be on the run until Monday of next week I think all the ripping and running around has stolen some of my mojoe, I am such a home body!!

Today is breakfast out with Daughter #3 then home with Kara for a few hours, off to gymboree to return Karsyn's Christmas PJ's (she needs a much larger size) then maybe a little spot cleaning around the house. Saturday is the pumpkin patch with Kara in the AM then Karsyn's 1st Birthday party in the afternoon in one of the worst days for traffic all year (NASCAR race, Renaissance festival, along with MAJOR road construction) Sunday is a 6 hour tee shirt quilting class that I am looking forward to but I so long to just be home and enjoy the fall weather!! Thankfully I have been turning down lots of engagements and get together's lately because the calender was getting mighty full, if I can hold on until Monday I will get back to my regularly scheduled life!!

Do you ever have times where you want to just be home, lock the doors, turn off the phone and just be? I need to do a better job of carving out time to be at home. This time of the year until Christmas can get overwhelming with all of the festivities I hate felling frazzeled. I have declared next Monday and Tuesday as at home, off the roads, enjoy some quite time, get in a little sewing and organizing around the house days. It's time to back out a bit and stop being a people pleaser!!

How Cute

How cute is this cake plate, it is a Birthday gift from AJ the beagle's Aunt Debbie, LOVE it. Thank you my dear friend!

I went out yesterday morning with a friend for breakfast then on to some running around we both needed to get done, it turned into a 11 hour marathon. Needless to say not a whole lot got done around the house! However I was able to knock out countless errands that needed to be accomplished now and in the future.

First stop was to exchange a bracelet Daughter #1 gave me for my Birthday for a larger size and add a few charms to it Hubby wanted me to buy as a gift from him. Holy Hannah that stuff is expensive. I'm not a jewelry person, my wedding rings and a watch are about it, of course no southern lady worth their weight would not have some pearls tucked away but they only come out for special occasions. The good thing to come out of the new bracelet is our big girls now have something to buy me each year. Daughter #1 requested a charm for Karsyn's first birthday gift, knocked out two errands on one shot but the cost was shocking.

Do you every have times where you are just ticking away at the frugal living thing, your focused and on fire then suddenly the floodgates of spending seemed to open up and the money starts rushing out? Ya, you know what I'm talking about right?

Next stop was the mall for my friend to update charms on her bracelet to celebrate the arrival of her first Grand (she has a different brand than mine) Gymboree was on the path to the jewelry store, Kara needed a new outfit to wear to the pumpkin patch/hayride next weekend. Just a quick stop, (Ya, right). I went ahead and picked up the grands coordinating Christmas PJ's, the mall is my LEAST favorite place to go, better get them while the getting was good.

On to the "grouchy" fabric store that was in the area, I needed shashing and border fabric for a class I am taking Sunday. I didn't get distracted by the bolts of new arrives, but I didn't pay attention to prices, I needed to get in and get out. Costly mistake.

Daughter #1 needed a 9 inch red ball or something to use as a head for a hungry caterpillar center piece she is making for Karsyn's upcoming first Birthday. Off to AC Moore to pick up the supplies.While cleaning out the living room I found my Dad's military burial flag that I had forgotten to get a case for,in the buggy it went along with "Baby Bubba's" Christmas stocking kit (I'm sure by Christmas 2012 I can get it finished) and a black wreath I needed to make a Christmas gift with.

Next stop was Target for my buddy to pick up some Birthday and Wedding gifts. Could I just wander around with my hands in my pockets....of course not, I found a perfect Christmas gift for Daughter #2.

I woke up this morning with a shopping hangover, GRRR

Thankfully days like yesterday are rare!!! A few years back it was the norm. I don't really have any regrets from my wild shopping yesterday but I could never make our goal of saving 35% of take home pay this year if I had many blow outs like this. I need to buckle down and get the spare room cleaned out to inventory my Christmas gift stash, but I have so many days already filled to the brim with gotta do's for awhile I just can't carve out any time to get to it until maybe the end of next week. I like some white space on my calender and in my day, how did this overspending and over committing happen?

New Floor is in!!

Lovin the new Living room floor

Inside of purse

One of the many projects I wasn't able to finish this past weekend is now complete

I love when a day goes as planned, it doesn't happen often so I am celebrating tonight with my feet up and catching up with the depressing news on TV.

The floor folks showed up at 7:30 this morning ready to rock, thankfully I finished moving everything out last night so they could do their thing. The floors turned out so nice, one less room with have carpet to deal with. I think we will end up throwing a cheap rug of some sort in the middle of the room this winter to keep our tootsies warm and keep down some of the echo. As I am putting everything back in the room I am doing a clean out, there isn't really much to get rid of since I unloaded one of the large chairs already but the desktop PC amour needs some major attention. That will be first on the to do list tomorrow. Since the carpet is gone the windows look a little bare with only blinds, why is it when you make one improvement it leads to many more?

While the guys were installing the floor I got busy making a purse for AJ's surrogate Mom who watched her while we were on our Anniversary trip. The pattern called for a jelly roll but I decided to use fabric I had on hand, lots of cutting and piecing involved but I like how it turned out. I put together a tab with a fabric covered button to use as a closure if Aunt Debbie thinks she wants one later on, not sure why the pattern didn't call for a snap or something. While I was cutting up material I went ahead and got 2 more purses ready to assemble for some gift giving later, now to decide what to make with the bits of leftover fabric. It feels good to use some of my fabric stash. I need to use up lots more, my assigned shelf's for fabric in the scraproom are stuffed. Carla over at 1/2 dozen daily has a great post on decluttering around the house. I have been working towards paring down around here for over a year now, it is incredible how much STUFF seems to be lurking in every nook and cranny. My goal for October is to clean out any bits an pieces in the living room then on to the spare bedroom where I have been collecting Christmas gifts, there is a whole lot more than Christmas gifts squirreled away in that room!