I'm so excited

I can't believe I won. Yes, that's right I won a give away from the ladies at Quilt Taffy.

More Painting

Unless you want to watch paint dry, I've got nothing!!

Weekend Review - It was kind of crazy.

On the sewing front - I finally finished this gardening apron. So I'm able to check another item off the Christmas list. I also dug in my scrap pile and found some how fabrics other than scraps ended up in this pile. I took the time last night and cut out a pair of shorts for my nephew, but I didn't get any further than that on them. We plan to clean out my sewing room this week in hopes of laying hard wood floors and painting in there. I'll keep you posted. We did work on home improvements this weekend. (Pictures below)

The crazy part of the weekend. When we pulled into the church parking lot, late I may add, I looked down and noticed my shoes didn't match. It gave everyone in Sunday School a good laugh. Man, my car needs cleaned out. I'll add that to my "to do list" that never ends.

I couldn't pick out the correct shoes because the master bedroom is a mess. I got it primed and one coat on the walls. Besides cleaning out my sewing room this week I hope to paint another coat and the trim. Bo is always overly optimistic about how long it takes to accomplish a project and we always fall short of his goals.

While I was paintin,g Bo and his dad laid wood flooring in the guest bedroom. He is just lacking a little bit for it to be finished. I can't wait for this project to be completed. Yesterday, at Sunday School he was talking to one of our friend about how they laid there own patio. Bo seemed interested. I guess that will be added to our list of projects. We only have ever have 4 months to get any thing done because we have to work around his three seasons: Tax, Hunting and Football. I hope we get this done soon. I really want more sewing time.

Making a Happily Married Couple Fight.

Finally, we got around to hanging my paintings and some of our wedding pictures(see below). We now have way to may holes in our freshly painted living room walls. That is mostly due to the fact that Bo and I could not agree on how they should be hung, and every time he hung a picture it was off by an inch. Needless to say this is all that I got done last night. Maybe I can sew tonight.

I have a problem!

I need some help. I just can't for the life of me figure out how to put any window treatments on this wall. I would love to make long tab topped curtains, but I don't know if they would work. I also don't know how just toppers would work either.
There are several problems with the wall:
1. There is just to much stuff on one wall.
2. The door.
3. There isn't much room between the wall and the window.
4. There isn't much room between the mantel and the window and the door.
Take a look at my picture (please ignore the mess) and if you have any advise I would appreciate it.

More Painting

I worked on my mountain picture. I think it looks better. What do you think?

Then, I worked on my last picture. It is of some kind of flower that we saw in Hawaii.

I have a long list of things I want to do tonight, and including sewing. We will see how much I get done.

Happy Father's Day!

I'm just spending some time with my dad today so no sewing for me.

Painting or Sewing? Which to do?

I decided to paint. Let me warn you I am not a artist when it comes to paining. Unless you count watching numerous hours of Donna Dewberry and Bob Ross on PBS, I have never taken a painting lesson in my life. So my art is a little hit or miss, but people create their own art on HGTV all the time. So, why can't I give it a try? Armed with my lovely projector, I can trace an item and make it sort of look like I can paint. I traced pictures that we have from some our trips. I still have one more to go. I just couldn't paint another one last night because my wrist hurt so bad. These are to hang over my couch and four seemed to fit the space much better than three.

This one is of a cactus in Vegas. Bo thinks that it looks like a needle off a pine tree. This is his favorite. This one is of a mountain on the island of Maui. I can't for the life of me think of its name. Bo hates this painting. He thinks that is has no life. I did add texture to make it look somewhat better. He kept telling me that I need to add color. That was not the look I was going for.
This one is of the Jungle Cruise at Disney World. I love this ride. It is great that it hasn't been updated. In some ways it is super cheesy, but it brings back all of those magical times at Disney World.

I have one more to canvas to paint. Hopefully, I will get that done soon. I'm off to visit my dad for Father's Day.

Look Mom NO Cavities!

Yes, I had to go to the dentist! I LOVE going to the dentist. I know I'm weird, but when you only hear praises about your teeth you can't help but like to go to the dentist. I owe my good teeth to genetics and to a great dentist and orthodotist.

Lunch Conversation

Let me start off by saying that Bo and I are very lucky. This luck comes from the fact that we work with in a few blocks of each other allowing us to ride together to work and eat lunch together. Well, today at lunch we were talking about what all we had to do tonight and just general stuff. The rest of our conversation went like this...

Bo: " Why didn't you tell me that your cake didn't turn out?"

Me: "I didn't think it was that important."

Bo: "I know. I didn't find out until this morning."

Me: "Oh, I don't remember telling you about it."

Bo: " You didn't. I read it on your BLOG."

Strawberry Cake

Okay last night instead of sewing, I made a Strawberry Cake for a reception tonight. Well, lets just say that the cake didn't turn out at all. I was going to take a picture because it looked so bad, but then I just couldn't. When this cake is made correctly it is wonderful. My mother-in-law makes it all the time without any trouble and this is her recipe.

Strawberry Cake

pre-heat oven to 350

1 package yellow cake mix

1 small strawberry jello

2/3 cups water

1/2 cups oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup frozen strawberries (it doesn't say this, but I think they need to be thawed)

Combine all ingredients and pour into 2 (9 inch) greased and floured round cake pans.

Bake for 25 minutes.

The best part

Strawberry Icing

1 stick Butter

1 package Confectioner's Sugar

1/2 cup frozen strawberries with juice left in again I think these should be thawed. If necessary liquid may be added if frosting is to thick.

Cream butter and mix in Confectioner's sugar and strawberries until smooth and the right consistency to frost cake.

Frost the cake after it has cooled.

If you try it please let me know what you think.

More than I could ever imagine!

It took them more than hour to put our large entertainment system back together. It had to be taken apart to be moved when we re-did the living room. It wouldn't be my choice to have a 52" screen t.v. It came with my husband when we got married. Our compromise was that we would buy a nice piece of furniture to go around it. The compromise has worked pretty well.After putting the entertainment center back together, they ripped up the carpet in our bedroom. (Please ignore the bed in the picture.) They agreed to leave it up so we had some where to sleep, but we are unable to get into the master bathroom. Well, this is what comes with remodeling.

While Bo and Luke laid the flooring I got to sew. I almost finished the gardening apron, but I still had trouble with the last step. I brought it with me to work today to ask a co-worker to look at it. She did and with in a few seconds figured out my problem. I hope to finish it tonight, but my sewing machine is acting up. I have never really liked my machine, but it seems to be getting worse. I also finished this apron. I wanted my husband to model it, but he wouldn't. He is an Alabama fan, and there is no way he would ever have his picture taken in anything with Auburn on it. So I got to model it and Bo took the picture. I only get one chance when he is taking pictures and this is what I got. I was telling him to crop off my head. I don't know how much sewing I will get done the rest of the week because now we have to paint our bedroom and clean up the house. Only two more rooms to go with wood flooring. The next one up is my sewing room which I'm dreading.

Note To Self - Pay attention when cutting out!

Well, I have figured out what is wrong with my garden apron, Simplicity 4597. The problem is that I cut out the wrong piece. The piece of fabric is what I cut out and the pattern piece is what I should have cut out. Luckly, the piece I already cut out will fit for the new piece. Hopefully, now that I have figured out what I did wrong that it will go together pretty easily. We will see!
I also wanted to include a picture of our flowers. They just looked so pretty last night when Bo was watering them.

It can't be?

12 years ago today I graduated from high school. WOW! I can't believe that.

Sew What?

I have spent the last 2 hours working on Simplicity 4597 view B. I haven't even gotten past step four. I swear sometimes the pattern directions are written in a different language and it is definitely not a language I can read and understand.

As a side note our living room is not put back together and Bo wants to move on to ripping up our bedroom carpet starting Thursday night. I guess I won't get much sewing done this week.

WOW ! The fashion was amazing

Okay, I had to see it. Bo and I went and saw it tonight. It was good, but long. The best part had to be the fashion. I couldn't help but think a few times, "If I would wear that people would think I was crazy." But in Sex and the City it works. Bo counted and there were only 15 men at the movie and they were all with a woman. He didn't feel to out of place. If you have seen it what do you think?

Is it already Sunday?

I can't believe the week is already over. Bo and I both took off work on Friday to paint our living room. We had to prime the walls along with putting on two coats of paint. We did finish, but not until 1 am.
We still need to paint the trim, but I did put the first coat of paint on the mantel. I wanted to paint the brass around the fireplace, but I haven't found an option that I liked. I guess I will have to live with the brass.
Saturday I finished my bishop dress. Sorry for the horrible picture, but we were leaving and for the baby shower I was going to was two hours away and I still had to finish the button holes. Luckily, I had time to do those in the car. The future mother is a friend of my from high school and she seems to really appreciate it. She actually received many hand made gifts which I was glad to see.
I also got to eat dinner with my nephew. Boy is he growing so much and his hair is so blond and tan. He is full of spunk and determination.
I have off work tomorrow for a holiday. I know what you are thinking... what holiday is on June 2? Well the state of Alabama celebrates Jefferson Davis' Birthday. I'll take the day. I don't care what they call it. I hope to use the day to get more things done around the house and maybe work in some time to sew.