My first apron......

Well, here are some pictures of my very first apron. I was in at Ben Franklin's a couple of weeks back, thinking about what I wanted to be for halloween, and saw this fabric, and decided that a kitchen witch would be perfect. I'll add a hat from one of DD's old witch costumes, a spatula or some-such in one of the pockets, and a dish-towel tucked in the waist-band. I think it turned out pretty darn cute. And of course Jenny just had to be a part of the picture as well.

Tell you what, this apron was a PITA to make. Got my sewing machine all set up, and started to do a bit of hemming, and found out that somehow our another, my tension was all messed up. Long story short, it took me several hours of tinkering with the damn machine, putting pieces back together after they'd fallen apart, pulling things apart to peer inside, and tinkering some more before I finally got it to work. After about 3 hours of tinkering, we had to leave for one of DD's practices, which is ALL that kept me from beating the crap out of that machine with one of DD's base-ball bats. ;) By the time I got home, I was sufficiently calmed enough to try again. It was still 1 am before I finished the damn apron that night, and 2 before I made it to bed (had to have my shower, before bed). I've got plans for more aprons, but only half-aprons for now. And somethings I'm going to differently. Like, I'm not going to fold the upper part of the skirt of the apron & hem it, then gather, then sew into the waist-band. That makes too many layers of fabric for my sewing machine to get through easily. I'll just simply hem the top part of the skirt of the thing, pleat (worked easier for me than gathers did), then sew into the waist-band (pre-folded twice-fold inch-wide bias tape). And DAMN does it hurt to make pin pleats through 9 layers of fabric (3 layers by the time you've completely hemmed the thing, then pleated back on itself causes 3 layers of this). Then there were two more layers in each side of the waist band, which meant sewing through a total of 13 layers of fabric, to attatch the skirt to the waistband. So, as I said, next time I won't finish the top of the skirt of the apron so thoroughly. It just doesn't need to be done, when it's going to be encased inside the waist-band in the end, anyway.

So there ya go.... Another completed sewing project to show off. Now off to the grocery store to get a few necessities.

Have a Blessed Day!

What have I been working on???

Well, I can finally post a picture of what I spent a lot of the last month working on. One of my online groups has had a Samhain exchange for the last 3 years in which we make (or purchase) something for our exchange partner's house, based on decorating for Samhain/Halloween. This took a couple of days to crochet (the base of the wall-hanging) then almost a month to cross-stitch (the pumpkin & bat). My first ever cross-stitched project, and I can't say as I really liked it all that much. Oh, it turned out ok (though, not quite as exact as the pattern I used), but it was a pain in the neck to actually stitch. ;) I think I'll stick to crochet!

Going to have to get a pic of my latest project up, next. It's my very first apron! Won't say anything else about it till I get a picture of it. ;)

Other than that, it's been work, work, work. I had Wed. off for Alaska Day. DH & DD were somewhat annoyed, as neither of THEM had the day off. Can't say as I minded! *wink*

DD's got her first hockey game of the season, this afternoon. She has also started practicing with an older group of girls, as well as her own team, and it's really helping her with her goalie skills, even after just 2 practices with them. These older girls are ages 12 to 14, and they are VERY nice toward DD, much more so than DD's own team of 7-10 year olds. DD got hit in the face-mask by a 50 mph hour puck, shot by the coach, at her first practice with these older girls, and they all showed a lot of concern for her. Not that she needed it. She got right back in front of the net & continued doing her thing. She saved over half the shots taken on her, and most of them were glove or blocker saves (ie: blocked them as they came UP at her, not on the ice), not stick and leg-pads. The coach said she's a heck of a lot better than even he suspected, esp. for only 9 years old (and he was her coach last year). So, we'll see how today's game goes. Hopefully she kicks butt! *bwg*

Have a Blessed Day!

Do it yourself "name generator"

So, I poached this from Nio. Thought it was kinda fun.

1. MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/mother + your favorite candy): Harold Kristine Reeses

2. GAMER TAG: (favorite color + favorite animal): green dragonfly

3. SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name + birthplace): Lynn Landstuhl

4. PORN STAR NAME: (first pet + street you grew up on): Dixie Lee Vicki

5. SUPERHERO NAME: (THE, favorite color, car your dad drives): The Green Ram

6. ACTION HERO NAME: (name of character in last film you watched, last food you ate): Dylan Bratwurst

Now, I guess the gamer tag is the only one that I would actually use. The rest are far too corny. ;)

Have a Blessed Day.

I told my Dad....

Got into a bit of an argument over at my Dad's, today. Except that it wasn't an argument. Not really.

DD & I had gone over today, since Dad has tonight off as his holiday for Columbus Day. He was making chili and asked if DD & I could come over for supper, since DH was going to a hockey game with another buddy of his. I said that'd be fine. Picked DD up from school & headed right over for Dad's.

I had brought along DD's school pictures & a couple of thank-you cards for the girls (DD & niece) to send to Dad's Brother & SIL in TX in appreciation for the jerseys my Aunt & Uncle sent them for their birthdays. DD is old enough that I told her that not only did she need to sign her name to the card, but she needed to write an actual note, and we'd tuck in a school picture as well. DD took it as she usually does: she refused altogether to write anything. Dad made a comment about how if she was going to be like that, he didn't want her in his house, and went on (excessively, for an adult) about how she hurt his feelings over refusing to write a thank-you note to his brother & sister-in-law. As usual, I told DD that she was going to write a thank-you note, so knock it off and just get to it. She kept getting carried away with writing the note (which I drafted for her, so at least she could copy the correct spelling), and making her letters all wonky & spreading the words across the cover of the card. I kept reminding her to slow it down, stop being sloppy & take her time. Well, Dad got fed up with DD and told her that if she wasn't going to do it right she could just go ahead & leave his house now, and that until she decided to be a little more respectful of his bro & sis, DD was not welcome in his house.

I'm sorry.... The child HATES writing. I'm not figuring on changing her opinion about it, I'd just like to get it through her head that it IS part of life and she MUST learn to write legibly and to stop spending so much time griping about it. Dad decided that it was a personal affront against him & his brother & sister, and kicked my daughter out. I told her to get her jacket & get out to the car. I got my things together & started out to the car, rather peeved with my dad, and DD all over the place, appologizing to me for this and begging me not to ground her. My Dad said he hoped she DOES get grounded for her behavior. Then he had the gall to ask if we'd still stay for dinner.

That's when I told him. I told him that _I_ was hurt that he'd kick my daughter out of his house & be so harsh on her for hating to do something that he's always hated to do himself. He's always made it clear that he's not big on writing, and he doesn't do it unless he has to. And here was my daughter, whining about the same activity. Her whining & refusal to do it right had NOTHING to do with his brother & sister-in-law. NOTHING. It was all about how she hates to write AT ALL. I'm just trying to get her to do a decent job, and he jumps all over her, assuming that it's his brother & sister that she's rebelling against and kicks her out of the house for her supposed disrespect of my Aunt & Uncle. I told him that I'm sick & tired of seeing my niece get away with murder and coddled & cuddled for it, and yet when my daughter does the slightest thing, he jumps down her throat.

I told him that for 23 years I've watched my baby sister be given preferential treatment by him, coddled & cuddled & getting my middle sis & I into trouble and I'm sick of it. (To my sis Shelli, Yes, I actually DID reference how K. would shriek & wake him up just because she was mad at you & I for something inconsequential as choice of TV show, and we'd get in trouble & she'd get to watch her choice of shows. And that it was a normal occurance growing up, her getting us into trouble just to get her own way.)

And now he's doing the same thing with my niece & my daughter. And that hurts MY feeelings. And I'm sick of the double standard of affection in this house. He looked a bit shocked, but didn't deny any of it, admitted that he deserved it, apologized to both DD & I and asked if we'd come back in and have dinner with him still, but that he'd understand if we didn't want to. He was rather quiet the rest of the evening. (Yes, we did stay for dinner.)

I hate that it had to happen that way, but I couldn't sit by and watch him jump all over my daughter for something that wasn't even an issue (heck, if it had been to call Aunt & Uncle, DD wouldn't have had a problem, but she HATES writing). Then to watch him try to sweep it all back under the carpet & tell us that he doesn't want DD in his house, but she can have dinner tonight, then she's not allowed back..... I just couldn't do it. I had to say it. And I didn't yell. I didn't. I was crying, and I was upset, but I didn't yell. I just told him that all the years of preferential treatment for my baby sis had hurt, for a long time. I'm somewhat sorry I hurt my dad, because I know it did, but I'm also glad I finally had the courage to speak up. Only by speaking up will anything change. I don't expect things to change drastically, or overnight, but even acknowledgement will help.

And Shelli, if he asks, PLEASE, PLEASE don't sweep it all under the carpet!!!!! Please, please don't pretend that you were never hurt by this. It's not going to do any of us any good. It never has, and it never will. And since I've finally come out and said what needed to be said, opened the floodgates, it needs to come out. Obviously I don't want to hurt Dad, but I can't keep pretending that I think K. is an angel, either. I can't keep pretending that she does no wrong (or little K. now, for that matter) and that it's all good. I don't hate K., either, but I'm sick & tired of hearing criticism from Dad over my faults (AND your faults) and how K. has no faults at all (or, none Dad will admit to, anyway). If he asks, please be as open as you can. It may hurt him, in the short term, but it will be better for us all in the long run.

Have a Blessed Day.

Hugs, not bombs......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4

Wow!!!! That is what the world needs more of!!!

We had a bomb scare here in my town, yesterday, just a few blocks away from my workplace, and in a neighbourhood (1st St. through 4th St. were cordoned off for safety purposes) that DH drives through to and from work every day. A non-descript black backpack with what appeared to be a pipe-bomb inside was found in a parking garage by employees there. The local Army bomb squad was called in and they sand-bagged the backpack then detonated it, to ensure that it didn't go off unexpectedly. Nobody was hurt, and whether it was somebody's idea of a joke or not, it was a terror threat.

It doesn't make me scared, but it makes me incredibly sad that this has touched my town. That this past spring we had a dozen middle school students (from MY middle school, the one my daughter will also go to someday) suspended, and 6 arrested, in a shooting plot that was almost to "go" stage. It makes me sooooo sad. And I am sitting here crying, watching that video and wishing that instead of crazy people standing in a busy place and exploding bombs on their body, wishing there were more crazy-happy people standing in crowded places offering innocent hugs to their fellow human beings.

3 school shootings in 7 days. Innocent little Amish girls dying for one man's anger & pain. People thinking they will best get their point across through violence to another. Would that more of us have the courage to be like THIS man who was brave enough to put himself on the line & give out hugs..... To perfect strangers.

What if all we really need to do to make a difference for the better is hug. Not just your family, but your friends, but your aquaintances, but people you only see in passing, but strangers. Even if you started with family & friends. Who are your family & friends going to hug??? Their family & friends. As we start to hug more often, we grow more comfortable with hugging, and so do those around us. Give it a try. I dare you. I'm going to. I'm not only going to hug my daughter goodbye, anymore, I'm going to hug her friends. I'm going to give my friends hugs when I see them.

Maybe the loving touch, a hug, from a fellow human is the best thing we can do to help heal this world. Maybe instead of shooting glares & guns, holding hands & hugging, giving somebody a warm hand on their shoulder or arm, maybe that's the best thing we really can do for this world.

Have a Blessed Day.

The Party....

Well, it's over. Thank the Gods. It went fairly well. Only about half of DD's friends showed up, but that was still 10 kids (not to mention a few younger ones that she's not really friends with, but were still on the invite list: cousin & friends of the fam.).

DH went & ordered a half-sheet cake, so we've still got roughly half a cake left. *sigh* Gotta pawn some off on the inlaws & the next-door-neighbours. ;) Tay got a few cd's, a few new toys, and money. My Aunt & Uncle in TX sent her a Dallas Stars jersey, which will ONLY be worn out to special outtings (hockey games, dinner out, but NOT to school, and always over something else so it can be taken off to keep it clean.) And her Heely's. And DAMN was she thrilled with those Heely's. She can't seem to get the hang of them, though. ;) Told her she's gotta ask a couple of her team-mates to show her how to skate on them. LOL It requires lifting the toe & gliding one foot in front of the other. She keeps trying to put her toe down & stumbles. LOL

Almost all the kids took a turn in the batting cages, some of them more than 1 turn (which was fine, DH paid 35 dollars for an hours worth for our exclusive use of the cage). Found out a couple of these kids can hit!!! Dude can they ever!!!! And a couple couldn't. Got a chuckle out of watching DH & his best buddy try. Man.... DH hit maybe 4 balls of 20. His buddy didn't hit a single ball. That was hilarious. The first round, DD hit maybe 12 of her 20, the second round she only missed 2. Her best friend, though, hit about 15 of the 20 in the only round she did. Dang!

Dd wasn't perfect, she was too busy playing air-hockey to want to stop and say goodbye & thank you to her guests as they left. It was more of a quick "thanks" tossed over her shoulder. But she wasn't greedy or ungrateful for the gifts she was given, either. She said a nice, proper thank-you to every one of her friends as she was opening her gifts.

A fairly good birthday party, in all. I did forget the paper towels, but other than that managed to remember everything else that needed to be brought: knife for cutting/serving the cake, candles, lighter, plates & forks, cups, juice, and even a trash bag (which was a good thing as they didn't have a trash bin in the room). Everything, except the remaining cake, got hauled home in the trunk of my car, with plenty of room to spare, so there wasn't nearly an overload of gifts. Thank goodness because an overload of gifts would not fit in my daughter's room. As it is she's got a bin each of Polly Pockets and Bratz dolls that she doesn't play with, and a toy-box & an hammock of stuffed animals that don't get used. But then again, once a kid gets to 9 or 10 years old, anymore, they don't want toys so much as they want things like cds, and boom-boxes and such.

Ok, gotta head to work. But just had to post (for my sister's sake) how the party went.

Have a Blessed Day!