Dad's like toys too!

I bought DH something that is fun and useful....a hand held bug zapper! You put in AA batteries and go to town on the annoying flying critters that attack! DH was grilling and decided to put it to good use! When the bugs don't come to you....go to the bugs!! This thing really does work. He was just amusing himself while waiting for dinner to cook but all I could hear was zzzap, zzzzap, zzzzzap!

Success! AND dinner!

My new toy... AKA birthday present

DH took me shopping. After we bought my requested new toy, he told me "Happy Birthday. Unless I think of anything better between now and your birthday, this is your present." Amusing huh! Once the words Happy Birthday left his lips he put the thought right out of his head! LOL!! My actual BD isn't until next week but we seem to have been celebrating it for a couple of weeks now!

I love, love this camera (Olympus Stylus 7000). Perhaps I never knew what my other camera could do, but this one has so many functions that I'm having to learn how to use it. Perhaps it will lead me to posting more often!a>

These two pictures were taken about 1" away from the fabric.

This was about 2 " away

This one was just taken as close as I could get and still keep the picture in frame. I

I'm thinking there will be some incredible quilting photos coming soon.....

What a great tradition!

REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
(author? photographer? I don't know but don't want trouble so giving credit.)

This is a great tradition!!! The only thing is, once the get done where do they go from there??

Minkee Monday

Poor thing doesn't like the cage. She meows like a baby...it's so pitiful. I called Mrs. S and she thought I had a baby in the car! Ms. Minkee was only off to have a "pedicure." I had to break down and pay someone as I couldn't corral a friend to cut her nails and they were LONG! It makes me nauseous to cut nails!!

Whoda thunk it?

The view from my house looking left......
The view from my house looking right.....

Both gas hogs, both ugly, neither one will get in a wreck and hear the other guy say they didn't see them!

My machine Does have an ON button!

Edit! I photographed all of my pillowcases UPSIDE DOWN! SHEESH!

If you remember correctly, DH, ahem.... hates cats..... Naturally, I had to play on this uhmm...hatred. Yeah, that's what he claims it is... hatred. I got these silly fabrics at Joanns. They are Robert Kaufman and I got them on clearance for under $4/yard! Ever since we got Minkee, DH has been saying things like "Your riffin' raffin' cat," or "I hate cats! " ect. At the same time, he worries incessantly about the doors being open too long, the blinds being down too late in the morning, ect, ect, ect. You get the picture. Big man of the house can't be in love with the widdle bitty fwuffy kitty! So, when I saw this fabric I HAD to buy it. He was out of town while I made them. He cracked up when he finally saw them. Even his body pillow matches! He calls me the cat lady.....WE know better! Cat Man should be HIS new pseudonym!

Low Flying Aircraft?

This is the funniest sign I've ever seen. It is on the way to Ms. CCCat's house. As you can see there is a whole lotta field on either side of the road. There is also the bay. The Naval Airstation practice field is to the left of the road...hence the reason for the sign but imagine how low the planes must get in order to need a sign as a warning??!!

Longarm doodles

Just having fun one day. CCCat is waaaay better than me on feathers! I like wonky things and she is fabulous at symmetrical, "looks like hand quilting" patterns.

Minkee Monday

It's the paw reaching out over the arm of the chair that cracks me up. Who woulda thunk it that this little annoying, noisy, wake us up at 5 am, creature would have captured us so completely?!

(that is my double delight, cowboy quilt in the background)

Sewing?

I've been busy. I've been creative. I've just not been sewing. I have the "make my front yard look more like fine people who care live inside rather than ragamuffins" syndrome! I am trying to take an uninspiring, overgrown space.............. and turn it into something beautiful. Seeing as how most of my front yard is weeds, this is not an easy undertaking! We had a raised bed built and I've been filling it with bushes and flowers. Now add to all of that fun that it has been blazing hot with whipping winds....well, I'm tired at the end of the day. I will post an "after" photo soon.

I did make zipper purses for my girls. I followed the directions from a taped Sewing with Nancy tv show. There was only one problem. Her samples we inconsistent. One had the zipper starting in one direction and the other in the opposite direction. If you followed the wrong set of directions you ended up with a purse that opened from the bottom. Guess which one I chose to follow on the first bag?! Plus I must have used thin ribbon or something because mine came out bumpy and lumpy instead of smooth like the one in the youtube video. I was so in love with my finished products that I didn't even bother to take a picture!!

School is out in a few short workdays and I will be able to sew and create to my hearts desire. By then it will be too unbearably hot to work in the yard and I'll be snuggled inside with the air conditioner for the summer!

Alive and Kicking

Yes, I've been absent.....again! I have been working and.....yard work!



Swine flu in the district shut down our school for a few days....not enough days as the CDC changed their rules right in the middle of my unplanned vacation!!! : ( I'm counting the days until vacation as I'm not sure if I can remain civil at my job much longer! Two months off is going to be JUST long enough for me to MAYBE regroup and be ready for the fall.

Yard work is keeping me away from the sewing machine. I hope to have something to show sewing wise, soon! I did stitch a pillow for my brother but forgot to photograph it. Boring post today. Hopefully will pick up in readabilty once school is out!