Veterans Day Blog Candy

How would you like a Linen Tea Towel
Maybe a Fall Apron

Close up of the apron

Or an assortment of sweater pumpkins, 1 large and 2 small

Get your name in the hat for any of the three prizes above as a thank you from me for making a donation of any sort or for any amount of $$ to our Veterans today. Leave a comment or send me an e-mail to share in what way you decided to honor our fighting men and women, no need to tell the amount you donated!! I will do the drawing on Monday of next week for the winners.

We are back from our family outing, everyone survived and best of all we are all still speaking to each other. I will share in another post of our adventure, today is for our troops!!

I am on my way to having the "Quilt of Valor" cut out and ready to piece, not sure how much piecing I will get done today after a late afternoon nap I will get back on it and work when I can over the weekend. I have never tried the pattern before so it might be a slow but steady pace, our local quilt store has offered to help me free of charge if I get stuck. Here is the really great part, Deborah Norris has donated her time and materials to do the free arm quilting!!!!!! Thank you so much Deborah for you help!!!! I may not get the quilt done until this winter but I will devote as much time as I can when I can to completing this labor of love.

The most intimidating part of the process for me is the journal that the organization requests you do while working on the quilt. They ask that the journaling be in your own hand writing and add photo's if you would like. Since my spelling is atrocious (when spell check is down you know I am speaking the truth) I want to keep my journaling short and sweet, as a scrap booker photo's are a must. I decided to use a 8x8 scrapbook as my journal, that way I can have my Daughters (who can all spell) proof read my journaling before I slide it into the book, the photo's and blinging out pages should be easy peasy. Check out some of the organizations listed below if you are unsure of what or where to make a donation.

GOD BLESS the USA and all who are willing to give up their life so the rest of us may live free.

http://www.qovf.org/

http://soldiersangels.org/index.php?page=scarves
http://www.operationwritehome.org/
http://www.operationshoebox.com/

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

http://www.aerhq.org/dnn563/

Nanny Time Day 5

Assembly line of sweater pumpkins

Day 5 of my Nanny time was spent once again try to clean up and clean out in the AM before I allowed myself some playtime. All the freezers are cleaned out and organized, my list of items I need to start watching for coupons and sales is ready. The pantries are looking spiffy again, I need to make a run to the warehouse store soon for kidney beans and Lima's if the grocery doesn't run a sale soon. The computer amour got some badly needed TLC, yet another list that I need to pick up of desk supplies. I put all the different lists in my planner so they won't get lost in never land, hopefully that will make shopping trips and scanning sales ads a little bit faster.

Then it was play time, I finished up all the mending, organized my thoughts for a card workshop at the nursing home for Christmas and made a quick trip to goodwill for more sweaters. Daughter #1 put in a request for sweater throw pillows, they won't be happening for awhile but I needed an excuse to get out of the house and enjoy some time in the beautiful weather.

Today I hit the floor in high gear. Hubby will be arriving home a day earlier than expected. He wanted to get out of MI before the winter storm hit, southern boys don't do snow!! I have had to rearrange my plans to work around the new schedule. Once I finish up the pile of pumpkins on the counter I will get started on the "Quilt of Valor" I would love to have enough time left in the day to begin the piece work but just to get it cut out will be a big help.

Tomorrow is Veterans Day, I planned on working on the quilt the entire day but hubby has set up a family outing.... I have already forwarded him I want to be home soon after noon so I can spend the rest of the day working on the quilt. I so hope I don't have to give anyone the 'Mommy look" but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to have time to honor our fighting men and women. We did make a nice donation to the Soldiers Angels phone home organization http://soldiersangels.org/operation-phone-home.html but I have my heart set on doing more.

Don't forget blog candy for our soldiers is tomorrow Veterans Day, leave me a comment on what you have done to help our fighting men and women, I will post the goodies sometime tomorrow. I will wait until Monday to do the drawing, as always you are welcome to send me an e-mail instead if you don't want to leave a comment on the blog!!

Nanny Time Day 4

Lucky find!! It is almost as big as the wood stove.

The view from my bathroom window this morning

Who posts views from their bathroom window? Well um...... me, for some reason the fall colors coming through the window made waking up a little sweeter, once the sun was up that is! I'm itching for a pot of something today to celebrate the end of my Nanny time and the beautiful colors of fall, chicken and dumplins might just do the trick. I need to get my rump in gear and make up noodles for the freezer so I can throw a pot of chicken noodle soup together in a pinch but the kitchen counters are still covered in various unfinished projects.

Yesterday was more running around (booooo) everything was on my do to list so at least I was able to mark lots of things off. One of my stops was to meet a friend to get her input on the sweater covered pumpkins, the stems were giving me fits, together we came up with the idea to cover some Styrofoam in brown moss and use a bit of beading wire for the vine swirly things along with a felt leaf or two they should be done, mark another thing off! The Harley quilt is now in the hands of the long arm quilter, can't wait to see what she comes up with for a design. I still have to pick up fabric for the binding to finish it up. I have been keeping up with receipts on the quilt so when the time comes our Harley buddies want me to make one for them I can give them the true price not figuring in any labor, I am sure they will be as shocked as I am over the price.

While I was out and about I ran into another Michael's in search of more pumpkins to cover, out of luck, everything fall or Halloween were marked down 80% so the pickins were might slim. Another thing I was on the lookout for was some sort of decoration for Daughter #1 front porch, at 80% off I figured I would put together a floral arrangement of some sort for her. A huge pre made arrangement caught my eye, but with a $150.00 price tag I was just scoping it out for ideas. The clerk that was working in the area told me they were also marked down 80% off, PAY DIRT the cost was $31.00, "I'll take 2 please" load um up!! My sister gave me a tip that Wally World had plastic jack a lanterns on clearance, since I was covering them in sweaters it didn't matter what they were decorated as, at $1.19 each I loaded the buggy.

Today I get to stay home!!!! I have a ton more things I want to knock out, while I won't get everything done I am feeling a little less stressed by the piles of unfinished projects and household chores I have been putting off. We are now on baby countdown so I have got to get ahead of the game, "Baby Bubba" will be joining the family November 30th!! The last ultrasound showed chubby cheeks, button nose and a bald head, can't wait to get this little guy in our arms.

I'm off to work on my list and get a chicken in the pot to stew.

Nany Time Day 3

Sweater covered pumpkins, still need to add leaves
I took one of the flaps and buttons off the sweater to add to this pumpkin

Dug into the scrapbook stash for a couple of buttons

I used the bottom of the sweater turned upside down on this one for the cute pattern

This ugly thing is for a Harley friend for Christmas, he saw one at the Harley store last summer but wasn't willing to pay the price of $85.00. This thing must weight 15 pounds, the chains, nuts and bolts are from the hardware store, picked up the wreath and hit it with a little black spray paint, total cost under $6.00

Too much of day 3 of Nanny time was spent in the car stuck in traffic, grrr Everywhere I tried to go today was backed up with road construction or wrecks that had both interstates at a stand still. Today was the day I was going to turn in the Harley quilt to the long arm quilter, by the time I was finally able to head her way I heard on the radio there was another wreck on the interstate with back ups for 6 miles. I promptly turned my booty around and headed back home, maybe tomorrow I will have better luck!!

I spent the morning doing more cleaning up and clearing out, then off to do errands UGH. Once I gave up and headed home I got to work on the ugly Harley wreath. The friend who will be receiving this for Christmas is a single guy (bet you could have guessed that) never been married. His home decor is ALL guy! When we go over I feel like I should stand up to potty, he will be gaga over his Harley door wreath. I am gonna make him promise he won't tell anyone I made it!!!!

The other project on for today was to make sweater covered pumpkins, I still need to make up some leaves to add to them but even without the leaves I really like the way they turned out and the price, oh my!! I picked up the pumpkins at the 75% off sale at Michael's for $2.15, the sweaters came from goodwill, 3 for $6.00. I have enough leftover sweater material to make 2 or 3 more sets (Daughters of course now want them). Tonight it's back to the stocking assembly for the little girls and watching some trashy TV. While I have gotten a lot accomplished the past 3 days my list is still a mile long, I hope I can get the majority of things finished up in the last 2 days of me time

Day 2 of Nanny Time

My messy nest
Back in working order

Christmas room after, everything is inventoried and stacked neatly in the corner. Not sure where I stored the photo's of the before shot but trust me it was a big old mess.

I'm on day 2 of my Nanny time off, little by little I am whittling down the list that takes a full sheet on a legal pad, stupid crazy list! Yesterday I tackled the scrap/sewing room along with lots of small been putting off projects. I did a quick check on quilt kits (I make up my own) I have a grand total of nine kits ready for some TLC. Also a pile of fabric that will eventually be "Project Linus" quilts over the winter The quilt kits are for next years Birthday gifts for our big girls, a couple of quilts for some friends and 2 that I hope will be ALL MINE!! I also checked my scrapbook stash and realized I need some supplies to make a gift as well as 2 custom orders. I gave up my CTMH business back in the summer so I ordered from a sister consultant, can't wait to get my hot little hands on the new stuff. I haven't bought any scrapbook supplies in so long I can't even remember, I'm thinking 8 months or longer. I have added Jennifer's blog to my blog list if any of you are interested in CTMH products. I know I still have some customers that like to place orders now and then. The rest of the day was spent working on Christmas stockings for the little girls while enjoying some college football. :( can't believe Bamma lost.

Today I finished up in the Christmas room, what a mess. Did inventory on what we have on hand and questioned my sweet husbands sanity, once I dug into the bags of Christmas gifts he brought home last trip. I did a little on line shopping this AM and made a list of what I know we need to purchase, still waiting on our big kids wish lists, they are on notice they better get one to me soon or they are SOL. Hubby will be in town next weekend I get him for most of the day Sunday so we can knock out a little Christmas shopping together. He can no longer Christmas shop without an escort!!!!

Sunday dinner tonight will be out to eat. Daughter #2 boy friends Birthday was Halloween, since he lives out of town we had to wait until this weekend to celebrate. I'm throwing the budget out the window and letting someone else do the work. Then it's back home to work on another pile or two of stuff before I hit the uncomfortable chair to work on Christmas stockings. I WILL finish the little girls stockings this year. I am gonna have to figure out some sort of prize for myself when it comes time to do the bead and sequin work, I so hate that part!!!! "Baby Bubba" may or may not get his stocking this year. I was smart and bought a pretty simple kit for his, after looking at it yesterday it seems familiar. I'm thinking it might be a repeat of one we have for one of the big boys, please don't let it be so Joe!!

Off to get dressed for dinner, my girls frown upon my Nanny wear, gotta take it up a notch so the babies have something nice to wipe there drool and runny noses on.

Nanny time

I did it, I declared some me time! Son-In-Law #2 ended up not having to work today so I am on my own, instead of going out last night I decided to stay in and get caught up on some badly needed rest. Today I will be off to use up some of my rewards points, coupons and GC. If the deals are not to be had I won't be spending anything extra, I need to hold on to our cash for Christmas!

Before I venture out I WILL get the scrap/sewing room back in order, when I say it is a HOT MESS I mean it!!! Having the sewing machines downstairs is working out great as far as the creative deal goes but I end up throwing stuff in and pulling stuff out of my room but never going back to clean up. When I work out of my room I keep things neat and tidy, disorganization makes me nuts however I am more productive sewing in the kitchen. I have way too many unfinished projects setting around and a few things that I need to get started on soon, this few days OFF I hope to get back on top of the mess.

I am also itching to get my "Quilt of Valor" cut out so I can jump in on the piecing for Veterans Day next week. The Christmas room is once again in a mess after hubby unloaded his goodies in there, I need to do some rearranging and updating of our gift list. Last but not least the house could use a little TLC. I have been keeping the doors and windows open a lot on days its not to cold, thus the layer of dust is getting mighty thick. The little girls and AJ are hard on the floors, they are getting as sticky as the Waffle House, time to get the place cleaned up!!

My plan for Sunday is to set up a Christmas stocking area in the family room so I can spend the day relaxing while working on the little ones stockings. I'm wishing I would have held on to my old crappy chair, it was perfect for beading and needle work :( Do you ever have so many irons in the fire things seem become overwhelming? Ya I think we all do, for the next few days I hope to overcome that mistake!!

Check this out!

Carla over at 1/2 dozen daily is hosting a benefit to buy a family the farm animals shown above. I made my donation this morning, want to do a good dead for the day to start your weekend off right? Check out her post, what the heck, maybe we can by more than one!!!! But I better be winning the oh so cute apron!!
http://halfdozendaily.blog.com/2011/11/04/help-me-buy-some-farm-animals-win-a-handmade-retro-apron/