Tuesday, January 31, 2012

How to Make Fruit Dessert Crepes - Day 335 of 365, Tutorial Tuesday

I've been trying to avoid food tutorials lately. When I think of food, I think of dessert. When I think of dessert, my mind always turns to that easy-for-me, quick-to-do tutorial. Sugar cookies. But I'm really trying to keep cookies out of the house.

So no Valentine's desserts or cookies, at least not yet. And after my major, months-long project culminating at work this week, my mind is not thinking about crafts.

My mind is still thinking about crepes. I've been in a breakfast rut for some time now and I'm using crepes to break out of it. I whipped up another batch to eat on throughout the week and made a tutorial along the way.

There are lots of crepe recipes out there so you could use your own. I'm using my late mother-in-law's recipe.

2 eggs, beaten
2 TBSP sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c. canned evaporated milk
1 c. flour
1 c. milk
2 TBSP melted butter

As for directions, you'll have to watch the tutorial.
Click on the video below to find out how:

Monday, January 30, 2012

Day 334 of 365

I figured it out. My sewing room is my balance place.

When things are too hectic, when I'm trying to do too much, when I'm spending more hours than I should working on "work", when I feel terrible and can't do anything at all, the sewing room is the place I have to go.

It evens me out. It calms me. It makes me feel like there are more important things than what's going on in my life. It helps me keep my mind off the pain. Whether I'm organizing fabric or choosing fabric or cutting it or sewing it, it makes things better for me.

I get more excited than I should about silly things in my sewing room. Things like finding a place for my fabric strips. When I was going through the plastic containers the other day (when I stupidly put fabric on Crystal Light containers) I also came across some great containers to hold my fabric strips. The strips fit perfectly in the containers and the containers fit perfectly on the shelves.

Oh, the excitement.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Day 333 of 365

I'm in love.

It started with the paninis. We got a panini maker several years ago from my mom as a Christmas gift. We used it occasionally but haven't been extremely happy with how our sandwiches have turned out. We never have been able to find the right combo of bread and filling to make a tasty sandwich. But just this week I found an amazing combination. Good sourdough bread, sliced turkey breast, provolone cheese, sliced onions, spicy brown mustard, and lots and lots of romaine lettuce. (Yep, me using lettuce.)

I'm in heaven. These paninis are so darn good I could eat one every single day.

The love continued when I rediscovered crepes today. With all the different varieties of berries I picked up at Costco this week, what could be better for breakfast than fresh fruit crepes? Nothing! Just fresh fruit and crepes - no whip cream, no powdered sugar - make for another meal that I could eat every single day.

Fresh fruit crepes for breakfast and a turkey panini for dinner. Delicious.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Day 332 of 365

Yesterday Paula O asked me:

Hi Deb- I was wondering, with 34 days left since you started your blog, what are your feelings about that? Will you continue? (please!) are you looking forward to day 365? If you choose not to continue will there be a bit of a void in your daily routine? Or do you think you can now leave it behind & get on with things? I hope you know this year has counted- your courage, generosity & love. I hope you continue.

My reply to her was:

Will I continue? Yes. Am I looking forward to Day 365? Yes. Do I wish I could end it on Day 365 and not look back? Yes. 

While things have changed for me over the past year, I still have lots of things I need to continue to work on. As much as I would like to leave the whole blogging and picture taking behind, I know I can't. I have to continue to move forward and the blog is the best way to document my progress (or lack thereof).

So yep, with now 33 days to go, I'm here to stay. Am I excited? Yes and no. It's like when you do something because it's good for you, not because you always want to do it. (Yeah, like that exercise I still can't get back into the swing of.)

How can I not stay when I get to see (and take pictures of) spectacular sunsets over the top of my computer screen?

Friday, January 27, 2012

Day 331 of 365

I love bargains. And I love coming home and finding that bargains have arrived in the mail.

I've been spending a couple days with my daughter and haven't been home. When I got home I had three packages waiting for me. The first two packages were used books I purchased to do research on some children's books. $30 in books for eight dollars. But my third package was the best deal of all - a new purse from Coldwater Creek. I paid $14. The purse was originally $70. (Talk about exciting!)

Also exciting was the run my daughter and I made to another store. We ran across some gardening things at 50% off the last marked clearance price. We always like using a systemic product on our roses, but it is usually so expensive we might only do one or two treatments a year. With the 50% deal, I made off like a bandit. Our rose garden should look pretty darn spectacular this year.

I imagine checking out with a cart full like this you might think I would be someone who:
A: is a hoarder.
B: doesn't care about the environment.
C: is obsessive about a rose garden.

Obsessive about a rose garden is the right answer.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Day 330 of 365

I don't have a Costco card and never have. My mom has a Costco card. My daughter has one, too. (They lived together so they're on the same membership. I think that's how that works.)

I don't know much about Costco. I know they sell items in big sizes. I know some people swear by them. But that's about it.

But I learned more today. I visited my daughter and we went to Costco. Unfortunately, I was the one whose cash was being used. Being used and being spent quickly, mostly on fruits and veggies. It was quite an experience watching folks buy huge boxes and bags of snacks and sweets. (The pies particularly looked mighty tasty.) I was quite proud of myself for not partaking in the huge unhealthy food purchases. $75 in fruits and veggies was plenty for me. Even with my daughter and I splitting the produce, my refrigerator is pretty well full.

I did enjoy one sweet purchase. I ran out to the only Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Boise. If you've been reading my blog, you know my obsession with the apples. I bought (and ate) a Butterfinger one. Although I certainly could have had my choice of many.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Day 329 of 365

Like eating a cloud.

An expression I never heard before, but one that came out of my husband's mouth last night.

We have this Mexican restaurant in town, Alejandra's. It's a small place tucked into the long stucco building that houses an auto repair shop, a Mexican store, the post office, the senior citizen center, and the hardware store. Right there on main street, the building is probably as old as the town. We're talking old, with each business getting its own little hole. When people talk about hole-in-the-wall places, I think of this Mexican restaurant. It has only been around a few years, but it's our go-to place for Mexican food. Great food at reasonable prices.

Great food and great specials my husband likes, particularly on Tuesdays. He loves their tacos and on Tuesday is all-you-can-eat tacos. Last night he again enjoyed the delicious all-you-can-eat tacos with rice and beans that cost something like $7.99. He was in heaven.

He has an obsession with the tacos, but an even bigger obsession with their rice. He's not a big rice fan, particularly of Spanish rice. But he loves the rice at Alejandra's. Every single time we're there he raves about the rice. So after he paid the bill and we were getting ready to go, he leaves the table. Not out the door, not to the restroom. To the kitchen.

He went to the kitchen to talk to the gal who makes the rice. Wanted to know how she did it. Told her how delicious it was. And told her it was like eating a cloud. I kind of think I know what he meant, but the poor gal with the broken English may not have understood.

I don't know about rice being like a cloud, but I am starting to think my head is in the clouds with all the quilt blocks I keep putting together...

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Sew Quick and Easy Potholders - Day 328 of 365, Tutorial Tuesday

Quick and Easy Quilted Fabric Potholders Sewing Project
I'm not sure how and why I started these tutorials, but now that I'm many months into them it's getting more difficult to try and come up with something creative every week. And then there are those days I don't feel well enough to talk to anyone and it's difficult to keep the cheeriness in my voice on a video.

I'm not sure if the cheeriness is there today, but something else is - a background noise.

I usually plan on filming the tutorials ahead of time. Every Thursday I tell myself I'll film, and I don't. Then it becomes Friday when I'm sure I'll get it done. Friday usually goes by and when Saturday or Sunday rolls around I start to feel a bit panicky.

But I get it done. Typically it is when laundry is running in the washer and my hubby is downstairs watching TV. I'll call down to him, letting him know I'm filming the tutorial and will be closing the sewing room door. That leaves me alone with no noises but the loud wall clock, ticking away.

Except this time. I tried to raise my voice over the noise. It didn't work. I tried to repeat things more than once, hoping I could bypass the noise coming from right outside the sewing room door, but it was no use.


Looking for something else? Check out some of my other kitchen sewing and crafting projects!



Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

After some major editing, the little bawl baby (AKA kitty cat) can still be heard about two minutes into the video. You can find the step-by-step how to tutorial for the quick and easy quilted potholder sewing project here:

Monday, January 23, 2012

Day 327 of 365

I spent today trying to figure out what to write. Which then got me wondering about this whole writing thing.

As I look past Day 365, will I continue writing several paragraphs each day? Writing every day, even when things aren't exciting, has been challenging. Do I talk about me? Do I talk about things around me, work, sewing? Or do I complain?  The daily writing has kept my mind active and alive, like exercise of the brain, so some type of writing will probably need to stay.

But it sure would be nice not to have to create something out of thin air. Typically when I sit down to write, the words flow (although sometimes slowly) and somehow, without a clear direction, wind up tying into the picture of the day.

Not today. Random thought about what happens in March don't really tie into today's picture.

I've cut up some of those blocks I filed a couple days back. I combined them with some of my scraps and have sewn them together into different colored blocks. Add some white sashing and borders and I see a colorful kid's quilt in the making.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Day 326 of 365

Six weeks and counting. In six weeks, my take-a-picture-every-day-to-see-that-I-have-lived goal ends. Knowing that the end is near is making me think even more about what the next step will be.

I'm still sure taking a picture every day is a keeper. Getting up every day knowing I had to take a picture is why I'm still around. It's why I'm doing quilts for charity and why I'm back working. It's the thing that has made me look up and see - really see - the world around me. If it wasn't for the picture a day thing, my head would be down and the most exciting thing I would have seen would have been dust on the floor or cracks in the pavement.

One change I'm contemplating is sometimes doing more than one picture a day. Over the past year there have been days where I wanted to take several pictures. So the next year might hold more than one a day every once in  a while.

Actually, today's picture sort of falls into that category. I took a picture of the $3 Target amaryllis when I bought it, and now nine days later there is some obvious growth. I thought the difference was striking enough to post the picture today as well as the picture I took when I first bought it on Day 317.

January 13
January 22

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Day 325 of 365

Yes, I did.

If someone were to ask me if I started using those squares that I filed yesterday, that would be the answer. Boy, did I start using them.

My new file folder fabric square system was very efficient. I easily matched up colors and patterns. And I sewed and sewed and sewed. Assembly line style, one after the other, after the other.  My machine got a workout and my Christmas iron got a workout. Lots and lots of blocks sewn together to make several sets of 11" blocks and several sets of 9" blocks. All of them are now waiting patiently, hoping to be part of one of a multitude of quilts.  Oh, the possibilities!

I so enjoy sewing, particularly for others. I might not be able to crochet anymore, cross stitch, or even hand quilt, but I can feed fabric through my sewing machine. Give me lots of pre-cut fabric, my arthritis gloves, a comfy office chair, a working iron, and a south-facing window on a winter's day and I'm a happy camper.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Day 324 of 365

Today's picture should be titled, Stay Away From Mod Podge Part Two.

Yesterday's waste of time, fabric, and Mod Podge on the Crystal Light and beef jerky containers should have been a big enough of a deterrent, but they weren't. Today I got myself in even deeper and wasted much more time, fabric, Mod Podge, and even some scrapbook paper.

I have all these fabric squares that I got on Day 131 and Day 185. They've been sitting in stacks inside an old box. I always forget I have them and when I do remember, it takes me forever to sort through all the stacks to find what I want. So I decided to organize the stacks.

I also have more hanging file folders than I'll ever need in a lifetime leftover from when I was teaching. I got this clever idea to cut the file folders down to fit the box that held the stacks of fabric squares. If the file folders fit, I could "file" the squares and be able to see what I was looking for quickly and easily.

But an ugly old box wasn't going to do. Mod Podge and scrapbook paper to the rescue! (Or so I thought.) I've never Mod Podged anything but fabric and now I know why. For when I used that Mod Podge and scrapbook paper on all sides of the box, the paper buckled. After it dried it was even worse.

After much peeling and scraping, the paper came back off. Next up was covering it with fabric. I went through all my usual steps when working with Mod Podge and fabric. When it was dry there was one small problem. The fabric I used was light-colored and the box had some dark printing and colors on it. Obviously Mod Podge doesn't hide what is under the fabric. A pretty, fabric-covered box with lettering and markings showing through wasn't too attractive.

Off came the fabric. But I wasn't going to give up - I had already spent hours and I wasn't about to let the project get the best of me. I tried again with a darker fabric with better results. Not great results, just better.

It's time to leave it alone. Maybe the best solution of all is to start using all those squares. It has been a month since I've worked on a kids' quilt for charity. I think it's time to start back. And time to give up the Mod Podge for good.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Day 323 of 365

I have to get away from the Mod Podge.

With my quilt being finished up, I got back to work on re-organizing my sewing room. I went through the very top shelf of my sewing room closet - the one that holds all the fabric and is pictured on Day 57 - and sorted through all the plastic containers that were up there. I tossed some, moved some around, found uses for some.

And I Mod Podged some.

I had several Crystal Light drink mix containers and a beef jerky container that have been waiting for me to find a use for. I found a way to decorate them - Mod Podge and fabric. But now I still don't have a good use for them. I don't need them for a pen/pencil holder. I don't need them for buttons. I'm not sure what to use them for.

I wasted my Mod Podge and fabric (and my time) on them without a purpose in mind. And to top it off, they didn't turn out as cute as I thought they would. They'll be sitting on the shelf until I (or someone else) comes up with some great idea.

Anyone?

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Day 322 of 365

Three separate people asked me about my health yesterday. Two of the people have probably only ever asked me once - ever - so it seemed quite unusual to have three in one day. It was only after repeating my story more than once did it become clear. This drug cocktail I'm on for arthritis has gotten way out of control.

I have:
  • A weekly injection that can cause TB.
  • A weekly injection of a chemotherapy drug that has some of the side effects you would expect. It also causes a depletion in folic acid which requires me to take...
  • Folic Acid daily
  • The combination of the chemotherapy drug and the years I was on anti-inflammatories has torn up my stomach, so twice daily I take medication specifically for my stomach.
  • A twice daily anti-malaria drug which, among other things, can cause blindness, hence my multiple visits to the eye doctor.
  • An occasional dose of addictive pain medication.
  • A couple other non-arthritis related long-term daily medications.
And I'm still waiting for the last ditch effort to come through. The thousands of dollars a month IV option, the one the insurance company has twice denied.

Going through the list then led me to some questions. What kind of person takes a combination of medications like that? How did I wind up on such extreme medications? And why so many? Thinking about it had me waking up this morning feeling kind of bad about things. Almost feeling sorry for myself. Almost.

I am so grateful and thankful I have things in place to keep me from lamenting my situation. There is always something to organize, but more importantly there is always something to make for charity.

I finished my Disaster Auction quilt. I'm happy  it came out the way I envisioned. I need to get my quilt label on it and it will be good to go.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Make Homemade Scrap Fabric Finger Pincushions - Day 321 of 365, Tutorial Tuesday

The first pincushion I ever owned was one of those tomato-y types. I'd used it for 25 or so years and when it got raggedy I started searching for a new one.

I started by purchasing one that looked like an easy chair. It was pretty and all, but wasn't practical to keep close by because it was a bit oversized. I still use it in my sewing room, but for decoration only. The next pincushion I bought was a cute little Mary Engelbreit one that looked like a little purse. Again, a bit too decorative and not all that useful.

Then I started making my own in hopes of finding something that worked well for me. I started with a flower pincushion from a pattern found on the internet. It came out too big. On Day 1 I made some squares ones that fit perfectly in the drawer next to my machine and worked well for my daughter to use in her department at work. Then after a noisy summer of owls and some inspiration from a gal who decorated some owl cookies, I made some owl pincushions on Day 195. Both of those pincushions were given away.

Now here I go again, looking for a perfect pincushion. This time I needed something smaller. Occasionally there are times when I need one for just a few pins when I'm away from the sewing machine. Today's tutorial solved my problem of losing pins on the floor.

I stick them in my finger pincushion.
Quick and Easy Homemade Finger Pincushion Craft Project


Looking for more quick and easy projects? Check out these ideas!

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

Find the step-by-step how to tutorial for these quick and easy homemade finger pincushions project right here:

Monday, January 16, 2012

Day 320 of 365

I do everything I can to avoid kids.

That may appear to be quite contradictory to my career. I'm going on my 18th year working in the same elementary school. Before that, I ran a preschool and before that I worked in several. That makes 28 years working with kids aged 3-10.

But now I stay away from kids. I still work in that same elementary school, in an office, doing regulatory/compliance and curriculum type of work - with no kid contact. It's not that I don't like kids. It's not that I'm not patient with them, it's not that they get on my nerves.

Kids represent illness. As a teacher, I was sick a lot. Then once I started on these medications for rheumatoid arthritis - medications that purposely destroy the immune system - my periods of sickness lengthened and became much more severe. Even a simple cold can send my entire system into a crisis. Something others can get over in a week can last several months for me and can result in multiple serious infections.

So nowadays I use a lot of antibacterial hand cleaner, Clorox wipes, and Lysol spray. And I have to avoid kids and sick people.

Like today. My husband had to go to the doctor and I sat in the car to avoid sick people in the waiting room. It was a cold morning to be sitting in the car, but it was worth it if I prevented an illness. As a bonus I got a pretty picture as the sun was trying to peek through the clouds.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Day 319 of 365

It was a somber morning around here. Any time you get a phone call at 8 in the morning on a Sunday, you know it can't be good. And it wasn't. The teachers at my husband's school have been calling each other this morning, making sure everyone knew the news.

On Day 27 on this blog I wrote: But as a high school teacher, the number of students my husband has lost is in the double digits. Most of the deaths occurred while the students were in high school or just graduated from high school. And usually from car accidents.

I never imagined when I wrote that way back in March that less than a year later it would happen again. One of my husband's students - one that graduated last year and is a freshman in college - was killed in a car accident last night. She was 18. If you want to learn more about Taylor as a high school student, here's a story the Boise TV station did on her last year when she won their Distinguished Student Award.

As a parent, my heart breaks for what the family is going through.

So other than phone calls, things stayed quiet around here today. I spent my time in the sewing room trying to finish up the Disaster Auction quilt. It'll probably be ready tomorrow, but today I did get my coupon holder done.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Day 318 of 365

My daughter uses words to describe herself like, I was a good girl and I worked hard today.

Both are true about her. She is a good girl. She likes to take care of people. She works very hard at her job. She calls her mom every single day (sometimes several times a day).

Both yesterday and today were several phone call days.  Even though she calls bunches, I still look forward to her calls. She calls me every day on her walk to work, calls me during her dinner break, and sometimes calls me after work. I hear about work, how things are coming along in her new apartment, what she's having for dinner, what she's frustrated with her boyfriend about.

Every time, at every call, I tell her the same thing before I get off the phone. I love you. Be a good girl. Stay out of trouble. Work hard. Wear your seat belt. I'm at the point where I feel like if I don't say those things, I'll jinx something.

Lately before she gets off the phone, she's been giving me a list of things she wants me to bring her way. Every day there is something else she wants added to the list. The list is growing quite long. The kitchen stuff she got for Christmas. A clock. Her full length mirror. Garbage can. A family picture. Dish soap. Cleaning supplies. Grocery sack holder.

While I haven't gathered all the other items up yet, I did get her grocery sack holder made. She chose the fabric from several options I sent her on the cell phone. Plain for my tastes, but just what the good, hardworking, seat belt wearing girl ordered.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Day 317 of 365

Compartmentalize.  

Merriam-Webster defines compartmentalize as to separate into isolated compartments or categories. Example: He compartmentalizes his life by keeping his job and his personal life separate.

Yeah, sure.

When I took this job, I thought I could compartmentalize things. When I was at work I'd think about work. When I was home I'd think about home. It hasn't happened yet.

When I'm at work, I think about work. But when I'm at home, I think about work. It's not like I'm not trying to keep my mind off of work - it's that it just isn't happening. A work-issued Blackberry doesn't help things, either. Seeing that phone with unread e-mails - e-mails addressed to me, e-mails that expect answers - makes me want to read them so I can get caught up. If I don't spend my days off reading and responding (and taking the time to find the information requested in the e-mails), when I get back to work I do nothing but catch up on e-mails. And I don't have that time in my work days for that - I have work to do.

Here's the lesson I'm learning about working part-time. ( I suspect part-time hourly wage folks don't have this issue, but I don't know for sure.) Here's what I do know - when someone is a salaried, yet part-time employee, it becomes difficult to determine what kinds of extras that salaried person is required to do on their days off. As a full-time salaried employee, it's a given that after-work hours can/should be spent on work-related activities. As a part-time salaried employee, it's also a given that after-work hours can/should be spent on work-related activities. But how many hours are enough? And how many are too much?

How many hours are too much? It's too much when I'm spending 2-3 hours on every single day I have off working on "work" things. I went into today thinking I wouldn't again get bogged down in work on a day off, but for the umpteenth time it did. Work came first, home came last. The time I had planned to work on the Disaster Auction quilt didn't happen. Sewing a grocery sack holder for my daughter didn't happen. Making a new coupon envelope for myself didn't happen. Work happened. And I've had enough.

I did squeeze out a few minutes to plant my amaryllis from yesterday's Target trip. Looks like it had been doing some growing while on the store's shelf.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Day 316 of 365

Today was a hard day for a picture. I had opportunities I didn't take.

I was at work a little after 7 AM this morning. (Just imagine how rough that one was on my body, especially with it being such a cold morning.) My first picture opportunity happened right before I got to school - proof that it really was a cold morning. The temperature showing on a business not too far from school showed 7 degrees. I had my camera out but there was a school bus behind me so I didn't snap the photo.

Then this afternoon I went to a store I haven't visited in more than a year, ShopKo. I'm glad I picked today to stop by. They had just marked their Christmas clearance down to 90% off. Aisle after aisle of ornaments, wrapping paper, and Christmas goodies. I was tempted to take a picture of all the things they had left, but shoppers were in every single aisle. I was also tempted to take a picture of all the things I bought at 90% off, but my bags were heavy on the chocolates (and I certainly didn't want a picture showing that).

I tried my luck at Target, but there were no Christmas items to be found anywhere. I did find an Amaryllis in a nice, heavy ceramic pot on clearance for $3. I considered taking a picture of it but decided to wait until it's planted. I like the idea of taking pictures as it grows.

I thought about taking pictures of the Chinese food I picked up for dinner, but decided against it. (Again, I didn't want a picture showing how unhealthy I'm eating right now.) I thought about taking a picture of the fortune: When it gets dark enough, you can see the stars. That didn't speak to me, so no picture. I wonder if it means the same thing as what my horoscope read today: Just because there's a wall in front of you doesn't mean that your journey has ended.

I eventually settled on a picture of something that is extremely rare this time of year. As I was sitting in the car, waiting for my husband to get out of a meeting afterschool, I was looking towards the mountains that are usually covered with snow. But thanks to all the storms going around us this winter, the air is hazy and the mountains are bare.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Day 315 of 365

My husband is a big help in the mornings.

He knows how much I struggle with getting out of bed, getting dressed, and getting myself to work. He knows it takes me hours before I can even get my socks on. He knows I hurt so much and my body is so stiff that I can't get a bowl out of the cabinet, can't grab a spoon out of the drawer, and can't reach for the cereal box on the shelf. Standing at the stove cooking any kind of breakfast in the morning is never possible. So he helps me out.

He knows that I'm not able to get out of bed to get a drink of water so he fills a water glass for me every night and puts it on the dresser on my side of the bed. In the mornings he wakes me up when he leaves at 6:30. (By waking up at that time it gives me a better chance of being able to be to work at 9:00. Even though I'm awake, I can't do anything but sit and stretch for quite some time. No dressing, no showering, no putting makeup on - those things happen gradually over a couple hours.)

And every morning when I finally get to the dining room, he has two pieces of cooked bacon waiting for me. A cereal bowl, a spoon, and the box of cereal are sitting on the table. On the counter- a loaf of bread, peanut butter, a paper towel and a knife so I can make my peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch.

Since he's doing that much for me, the least I can do is make a quilt that will make him look good at the Disaster Auction next month. It still has a ways to go, but it's closer than it was on Monday.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Sew a Fabric Grocery Bag Holder - Day 314 of 365, Tutorial Tuesday

Grocery sacks.

I remember when everything was paper. Then it was a choice of paper or plastic. Then it became all plastic. Now there are communities banning plastic bags. But I still use those plastic bags.

On Day 20 I got this bright idea to stop with the plastic bags. I cut up and sewed some old t-shirts to make reusable grocery sacks. Those t-shirt bags didn't last long. Actually, they did last a long time. They sat - unused - in a chair in the den month after month after month. Finally I put them in the donation box and sent them on their way. I guess those plastic sacks aren't going away for us.

So I made a plastic grocery sack holder. My  husband took the wine bottle one for out in the garage (he asked permission first) and now my daughter has requested one in blue for her new apartment. (I'll be snapping some fabric pictures on my cell phone and sending them her way for her approval.)

Today's tutorial features a bright looking-forward-to-spring one.
Easy Homemade Fabric Plastic Grocery Bag Holder Sewing Project

Looking for something else? Check out some of my other kitchen sewing and crafting projects!

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

Click below for the step-by-step how to tutorial and learn how to make your own homemade plastic grocery bag holder:

Monday, January 9, 2012

Day 313 of 365

I have to fess up. I started a new project even though my unfinished project basket is still overflowing.

The first Saturday of every February our community has a "Disaster Auction". They help families cover costs associated with hospital or large medical bills, funerals, or fire damage to their homes. In 1961 they raised $6,000 and last year the auction raised over $95,000.

For years I've said I would make a quilt for the auction and for years I haven't followed through. With all my donation/charity work this year I decided this absolutely would be the year I'd make one. But then I looked at some of the pictures of the previous years' quilts and I chickened out. Chickened out because I didn't think my work was impressive enough to join the quilts auctioned off. Chickened out because I didn't want my quilt to be the one fetching the least amount of money.

My husband wasn't happy with me backing out again and expressed his disapproval. I was willing to live with that disapproval, but then I saw a pattern that changed my mind. After I redid my cardboard magazine holders on Day 311, I went through all the magazines. Looked at every page of every magazine and came across a quilt that tickled my fancy.

I'm still working on getting the right colors together, but at least it's a start.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Day 312 of 365

Our cat is just darn weird.

It's not that she bawls at weird times of the day and night. It's not that she still comes running every time I use the can opener. (Her cans of food haven't needed a can opener in years.) It's not that she runs in front of my car every time I pull in the driveway. And it's not because she thinks my ironing board is the best way to jump down from the sewing room window.

It's because of the ponytail situation.

When my daughter was younger she always left those rubber-band-y, elastic-y, scrunchy type of ponytail holders around. She left them around and the cat would find them. Find them and play with them. Find them, play with them, and lose them. In the past we've found them under the couch, the refrigerator, and the stove. We thought those days were long gone, but they have started up again.

My daughter comes home ever so often and occasionally she'll take one of those ponytail holders out of her hair and toss it to the cat. The cat absolutely loves it. She particularly likes the black ones and the red ones. She'll toss it with her paw. She'll fetch it. She'll throw it with her mouth. She jump, she'll leap, she'll pounce. She'll hide it under the rug and dig it back out. She'll run into the bedroom, drop it on the bed, and cry for us to play with her. She'll lose it under the chair and bawl for us to get it out. Every morning and every evening it sounds like things being thrown around the house. It's just the cat wrestling around the floor, tables, and furniture with that doggone ponytail holder. Eventually she'll tire out and fall asleep somewhere.

Today's sleeping spot was a small corner of the bed. Today I washed our bedding, all the way to the mattress pad. The cat likes these sheet-changing days because it presents an opportunity to hide in the blankets. Knowing that, as I was waiting for everything to dry, I made sure I piled the linens high enough that she'd keep off of them. Wouldn't you know she found that one small little space that was left open.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Day 311 of 365

I use my daughter's old bedroom with lavender colored walls for my sewing room. I'm not too fond of the color and am contemplating painting over them. As I've been doing some research on craft rooms (not research actually - I've just been looking at pictures of organized craft rooms on the internet) it seems that I like looking at pictures of organized things just about as much as organizing them myself.

In my search for pretty and organized craft rooms I came across a website that featured pictures of organized drawers and shelves and containers and just about anything else you could think of. It was there that I ran across some directions on how to decorate magazine holders.

I have lots of magazine holders, both black plastic ones and primary colored cardboard ones. Black plastic and bright primary colors won't fit with the color scheme I'm thinking of using, so I followed the directions at iheartorganizing to update my cardboard magazine holders.

And what a surprise - I didn't use fabric for a project this time.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Day 310 of 365

I'm not a breakfast person, but my husband is. I'm just fine and dandy if I have a bowl of Chex, Rice Krispies, Special K, or Cheerios. Occasionally I might go for a breakfast burrito or a muffin. For him, cereal is more like something you have if you're still hungry after dinner. Big breakfasts are his thing. Biscuits and gravy. French toast. Omelets. Some kind of egg dish with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in (including some hash browns), then smothered with gravy would probably be his number one choice. But with his higher cholesterol he's been sticking to oatmeal, berries, and walnuts in the mornings.

Once in a while, the idea of breakfast for dinner strikes his fancy. For some reason, I can tolerate breakfast-type meals better in the evening than I can in the morning.

Tonight's end-of-the week breakfast-for-dinner meal was omelets and hash browns. Onions, peppers, and those Little Smokies sausages. Not the best for the calorie watching, but I was more careful today and had some calories to spare.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Day 309 of 365

It ended. The last day of my Christmas break was yesterday and I started back to work today.

After having a horrible last week of school in December, I was in desperate need of a break. The pain I was in during December was the worst pain I could recall since post-surgery pain. I don't know if stress or overworking or what contributed to it, but it was bad. I have pain-filled days every single day, but this was excruciating pain-filled. I don't know how I made it through. But I did.

I made it right into Christmas Break. My plans were to start popping those pain pills again to get some relief. And I did pop those pain pills for a couple days in a row. Yes, they provided relief, but the side effects were again not something I wanted to deal with.

But now, two weeks out - and no pain pills in my system - I'm feeling a bit better than I did. How can one day be so excruciatingly painful and another not? I don't get it.

I just know I'm working on taking better care of myself. I started tracking my food intake for the last few days. Even with being out of town I was still able to keep my calorie count down. Until today.

Going back to work from vacation threw my calorie-counting out of whack. Having cookies sitting on my desk when I showed up today started the downward spiral. It continued with me coming home from work after dark. Being too tired to cook led me to dinner at the local Mexican restaurant where I made poor food choices. I'm afraid to even track the calories I consumed today, but I will. Ugh.

And I had such hope for a great day. With such a pretty sunrise practically rising from the south, how could a day turn out so rotten?

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Day 308 of 365

I'm done gambling. Not just done because I'm home from my mom's birthday trip to the casino, but done done. Done for a very long time.

I'm not a very good gambler. I love the thrill of winning - even the anticipation of winning - but the low of losing is just as powerful a feeling. I love having something that I can get so immersed in that I forget about everything else. But the losing times are miserable and I'm not interested in experiencing them anymore. So I'll do what is right.

I'm going to become one of those people who don't like to gamble. A couple of people I met at the casino helped me make that decision.

One gal I've met before. Every time I've been to the casino in the last year I've seen the same lady at the same particular penny machine. Last time I went I struck up a conversation with her and heard her "story". She's on disability and comes to the casino every other week and spends a few days each time. Each trip she plays hour after hour every day on that same slot machine. If I'm heading to the casino, she'll be there - and she was again this trip. I don't want to be that person whose life revolves around the casino, or even the person who is recognized as a regular.

The other gal I met last night. She was sitting at a penny slot machine next to me and kept repeating, "This is stupid." I didn't pay too much attention to her, but saw she had about three dollars in the machine. Then she told me she had put $100 in the machine and hadn't won anything yet. When she got down to a dollar left in the machine, she put in another $20 bill. She still was muttering about it being stupid. (I got the impression she was talking just as much about herself as she was the machine). $120 lost in a penny machine. I don't want to be that person who loses that much on one machine, particularly in pennies.

Knowing myself and my all or nothing way of being, I  made a conscious decision before I left the casino not to return. (At least anytime in the near future.) I have a full life here at home. I have activities that I can immerse in and forget about everything else.

When I got home, a package in the mail confirmed I was making a good decision. My two books ordered from Snapfish. One of all my donation projects for the year and one of my rose garden from this year.

I love the books and am proud of the work I've done and the pictures I've taken. The ten dollars I spent on the books is a much better use of my money than trying my luck with a slot machine.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Make Decorative Binder Clips with Mod Podge - Day 307 of 365, Tutorial Tuesday

Sometimes my husband sees something in my sewing room that he likes.

He saw a clipboard I made and wanted one. I made him his own.

He saw a kids' quilt I made with baseball fabric and wanted it. I made him his own.

He saw a grocery sack holder I made and wanted it. I gave it to him.

But the binder clips from today's tutorial? Yeah, not so much. I was excited about them. I use tons of big black binder clips at work all the time, and I thought maybe my hubby did too. So I told him I'd make him some. I could do star fabric, or red, white and blue, or some patriotic fabric. But he just laughed at me. I think he thought they were the stupidest things he'd ever seen.

I don't care. I like them. I'm using them. And I'm going to make more of them.

Supplies:
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Decorative Fabric Covered Binder Clips Made with Mod Podge Craft Project


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Click on the video for step-by-step how to instructions to make these decorative binder clips from fabric scraps and Mod Podge:

Monday, January 2, 2012

Day 306 of 365

Next week is my mom's birthday. I always struggle with what to get her, especially with her birthday being so close to Christmas. But this year it was easier.

She likes to gamble. When she lived in California she went to the Indian Casinos a lot and made her way to Reno quite a bit, too. She went so frequently that she always got offers for free rooms, but since she moved back to Idaho she hasn't been able to use them. She has been itching to take a trip down to Jackpot. Actually itching probably isn't a strong enough word for her desire to get some gambling in.

So today I'm picking up my mom and taking her on a casino jaunt for her birthday present. She'll get to gamble to her heart's content for the next two days. Since I still have money leftover from my trip with my husband, I'll get to gamble a bit, too. But I also have leftover work that I didn't get finished over the Christmas break, so I'll be bringing my laptop and papers and folders and files and notebooks along with me for a work session.

Speaking of leftovers, I finished up my flower quilt. Yay! 5 years late, though.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Day 305 of 365

I almost started a new sewing project today, but I stopped myself. I made a conscious decision not embark on any new sewing projects right now.

I have plenty of leftovers.

Leftover, unfinished projects from years back fill a basket in my sewing room. The basket has bugged me on a daily basis year after year. Every day I sew I see that basket. Every day I sew I put that basket out of my mind.

But not today. Today I picked up one of those unfinished projects (my favorite one of the bunch) and got to work on it. Finally after a few years I now have the applique part finished.

With any New Year's Day luck I might be able to get it quilted before the day is over. And this one is going nowhere. It's staying right here with me to hang on a wall somewhere.