Scary Halloween

Which do you think is scarier??

Martha Stewart on a "normal" day

Martha Stewart on the cover of October 2011 magazine

Yeah, I think she is scary in both photos. I rank Martha up there with Oprah; cant live with her and cant live without her.

New Hobby: Part Three

I did it! I did it! I measured the fabrics, cut them and began sewing my squares.

Please meet the beginnings of the Pink Explosion quilt...

I know my fabric isn't cut anywhere straight and my seams are no where near 1/4". But they are cut and sewing. Got to start somewhere, right?

New Hobby: Part Two

I am a lot like my Grandmother- I am not a pink girl! I don't like pink, I don't have a lot of pink things in my house/closet and I don't like adult women that wear head to toe pink.

I did a search on "how to make a quilt" and stumbled across a great blog, http://flossieteacakes.blogspot.com/2011/03/tutorial-how-to-make-patchwork-quilt.html. I have followed this step by step, kudos on all the help!!!

I picked out fabrics from my Grandmothers stash. Not sure why I was set on pinks, maybe it is due to the blog above having pink fabrics in the pictures (I am easily swayed on things).

I can believe all the pink fabrics I choose. I have read how hard it is to match up fabrics and I think I have done pretty well for a true newbie to this whole crafty thing.

Now let's get quilting!

Ella's Baby

Ella LOVES to have a baby nearby at all times. Sometimes she is gentle and sometimes not so gentle. She currently has a hedgehog baby; it sounds like a pig when squeaked.
She has had this baby about a month and a half, that is a record you know. Since I am starting to get crafty and not so afraid of needles, I performed surgery on the baby this morning. Her stuffing was coming out and a foot was dangling.

I would like to report the surgery has gone well and Ella is back to carrying the baby around.

Baby in surgery

Mama waiting patiently

I got by baby back, baby back

Baby posing after surgery

New Hobby: Part One

I think I failed to tell you that I have NEVER used a sewing machine, never cut fabric, dont know how to use a yard stick and dont know how to properly pin fabrics seam to seam.

Three years ago, I asked for a sewing machine for Christmas. I am not sure why, but my sweet mother got me a "beginner" Singer machine. It has been in the box since the day I got it. My Mom, Aunt and good friend Linda Mowry have all promised to show me how to use it. I still didnt know until last week.
Oh, but I was determined to start my new hobby, quilting.
I pulled my machine out, put the "how to" DVD out and practiced.

I still have alot to learn, but I got threading the needle and filling the boobin down.

Stay tuned

Grandmama's fabrics and my new hobby

I have never wanted to quilt before, but I have been thinking about a hobby I can really get interested in and “participate in” for years to come; something other than reading and cooking, those two things are instant gratification and doesn’t have much to show for once you are finished reading or cooking.

But my Grandmother was a quilter. My Grandmama quilted for 50+ years, volunteered for the largest quilt show in the world (Houston’s International Quilt Show) and was a member of the Austin Quilt Guild for YEARS. I always thought it was weird to spend so many hours quilting.

My Mom and Aunt are working on cleaning out their childhood home 15 months after my Grandmother has passed away. This home is a two bedroom home and one room has ALWAYS been wall to wall, floor to ceiling of sewing/quilting things. There are fabrics of every color and every print. If there is one pair of fabric sheers, there are 20 pairs.

Mom and Aunt Ann haven’t even begun to work on this room. I haven’t asked for much from my Grandmother’s house, but I decided I wanted to raid this room of some goodies. I was going to throw my hat in the ring and try this quilting thing out.

I wanted to share some of the things that I picked out and take you along the journey of my first quilt. Stay tuned.

Chest Hair

I am not real sure what is on the TV right now. It is just on with noise in the background. But I turn around and see several men with chest hair showing throughout the commercial.

YUCK!

I am soo lucky that Troy is not very hairy and what hair he does have he shaves. I think most times I have more leg hair than he does. He likes to tease me and ask if I need hints on how best to shave and not have stubble. HA

So I pulled up Google and search for "celebrities with chest hair". You would not believe there is a .com dedicated to this silly subject, www.celebchesthair.com. I am scrolling through and sooo disappointed that there are some of my cuties on this site. Let me share...

Tom Selleck

Pierce Brosnan

Gavin Rossdale


Ok, these three are bad examples of YUCK. I could snuggle up to any of them. Enjoy!

Fill in the blank Friday

1. Nothing says fall like being able to turn off the a/c and open the doors.

2. My favorite autumnal tradition is  to clean out the garage. It is finally pleasant enough to dig through the crap we have collected through the year and we don’t break a sweat.

3. My favorite fall treat is bowls and bowls of chili.

4. Fall makes me think of shopping because Christmas is around the corner and I need to figure out how to stretch our dollars.

5. Autumn free form word association, go! Crisp air, cool mornings and nights, comfortable day temps, the wind blowing “just right” to hear the train about 10 miles away.

6. My go-to outfit in the fall is something with layers. It is in the 40-50’s in the morning and evenings but still about 75+ during the day. Must be able to strip things off and put back on.

7. My favorite fall holiday is (Halloween or Thanksgiving) Thanksgiving. Now that I have learned to make “the best” turkey anyone in the family has ever had, I cant wait to find a couple of birds that will be just right and cook “Thanksgiving” several times.



Open Letter to Mothers of Young Children

Dear mothers of young children (0-23yrs),

Please take notice, this non-mother is not impressed with your so called super-hero tricks or your super rude attitudes! I say this not because I don’t like you or your children, but because I am over letting you be entitled to everything in this world on YOUR time. I have a couple of examples of your rude behavior, maybe you haven’t noticed what you are doing and maybe no one has called you out on it.

►If you are a mother in line at the gas station behind me (cause I got to the pump first), don’t yell at me and complain about how you need to get thru the line before me because you have kids to get home to. Your kids are not the ace card or the card that gets you to pass go and collect the next spot in line for free.

►If I am seated at a restaurant eating with a friend, DO NOT ask me to move tables in the middle of my meal so that you and your snotty kids can have more room. I got there first, I took the table that I wanted and I had my food served to me. Would you and your snotty kids move if I asked you to? Don’t lie the answer is no!

►Do not bitch and whine that you deserve time off or a raise because you are a mom. You get time off because your employer is kind enough to give you time off, this isn’t a government job and the government hasn’t ordered the employer to GIVE you days. Also, if your job performance deserving of a raise, you may get one, again the employer DOESN’T have to give you one, this is out of the kindness of their heart/pocketbook. But don’t rationalize that you are a mother on a tight income and you deserve a raise on this merit.

►Also, don’t expect to turn your vacation request in late and after everyone else in the office and expect to get all the days you want. First come first serve. There are others of us that can plan ahead and put things on the calendar. Just because your kids are out of school and YOU want to go on vacation, doesn’t mean that my request is less important than yours. Get it together, organize and put your request in early!

►If you and your kids are in a public place and your child (no matter the age) decides to throw a temper tantrum, correct them don’t ignore them. If the correction doesn’t work, take away from others in public. I didn’t give birth to your child, I know how to say “no” and I shouldn’t have to listen to your spoiled child. Grow a back bone, be the adult and take control of the situation. This is doubly true for your child throwing a fit in a restaurant, bring a toy for them to play with or ask for crackers to keep the kid quiet while you dine.

Sincerely,
Other Women of the World

2009-May 2011

I want to share with you the news stories that I think are important over the last 34 years; these are not the only news stories that have happened during the years featured, but the stories that I remember most. I would like to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (www.wikipedia.com) for making this an easy project!

Born July 18, 1977

2009

>June 25 – The death of American entertainer Michael Jackson triggers an outpouring of worldwide grief. Online, reactions to the event cripple several major websites and services, as the abundance of people accessing the web addresses pushes internet traffic to potentially unprecedented and historic levels.
>July 7 – A public memorial service is held for musician Michael Jackson. It is regarded as one of the most prominent funerals of all time.

2010

>January 12 – A 7.0-magnitude earthquake occurs in Haiti, devastating the nation's capital, Port-au-Prince. With a confirmed death toll over 230,000 it is one of the deadliest on record.
>April 13 – A 6.9-magnitude earthquake occurs in Qinghai, China, killing at least 2,000 and injuring more than 10,000.
>April 20 – The Deepwater Horizon oil platform explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, killing eleven workers. The resulting Horizon oil spill, one of the largest in history, spreads for several months, damaging the waters and the United States coastline, and prompting international debate and doubt about the practice and procedures of offshore drilling.

2011

The Arab Spring (also known as the Arabic Rebellions or the Arab Revolutions) is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world. Since 18 December 2010 there have been revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt; a civil war in Libya resulting in the fall of its regime; civil uprisings in Bahrain, Syria, and Yemen; major protests in Israel, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan  Morocco, and Oman, and minor protests in Kuwait Lebanon, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Western Sahara. Clashes at the borders of Israel in May 2011 have also been inspired by the regional Arab Spring.

>February 11 – Arab Spring: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigns after widespread protests calling for his departure, leaving control of Egypt in the hands of the military until a general election can be held.
>March 11 – A 9.1-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit the east of Japan, killing over 15,000 and leaving another 8,000 missing. Tsunami warnings are issued in 50 countries and territories. Emergencies are declared at four nuclear power plants affected by the quake.
>March 19 – Arab Spring and Libyan civil war: In light of continuing attacks on Libyan rebels by forces in support of leader Muammar Gaddafi, military intervention authorized under UNSCR 1973 begins as French fighter jets make reconnaissance flights over Libya.
>April 29 – An estimated two billion people watch the wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London.
>May 1 – U.S. President Barack Obama announces that Osama bin Laden, the founder and leader of the militant group Al-Qaeda, has been killed during an American military operation in Pakistan.

Who Rocks It Best? (blog post from Troy)

Who rocked it best? You know that old clitche of the USA flag bikini? I think these two ladies are on Troy's crush list this week...

Jessica Simpson

Juilanna Hough

Troy thinks it is Ms. Hough... who do you think rocked it best?

2004-2008

I want to share with you the news stories that I think are important over the last 34 years; these are not the only news stories that have happened during the years featured, but the stories that I remember most. I would like to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (www.wikipedia.com) for making this an easy project!

Born July 18, 1977

2004

>February 3- The CIA admits that there was no imminent threat from weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
>February 4 – Facebook was founded at Cambridge, Massachusetts.
>July 25- Lance Armstrong of Austin, Texas wins an unprecedented 6th consecutive Tour de France cycling title.

2005

>January 20 – George W. Bush is inaugurated in Washington, D.C. for his second term as the 43rd President of the United States.
>August 29 – Hurricane Katrina makes land fall along the U.S. Gulf Coast causing severe damage. At least 1,836 die in the aftermath.

2006

>February 10–February 26 – The 2006 Winter Olympics are held in Turin, Italy.
>November 5 – Former President of Iraq Saddam Hussein is sentenced to death by hanging by the Iraqi Special Tribunal.

2007

>May 3 - British toddler Madeleine McCann disappears from an apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal.
>October 8 – Track and field star Marion Jones surrenders her 5 Olympic medals she won in the 2000 Sydney Games, after admitting to doping.

2008

>February 5 – U.S. stock market indices plunge more than 3% after a report shows signs of economic recession in the service sector. The S&P 500 fall 3.2%, The Dow Jones Industrial Average 370 points.
 >February 19- Fidel Castro announces his resignation as President of Cuba, effective February 24.
>February 24 – Raúl Castro is unanimously elected as President of Cuba by the National Assembly.
>August 17 – Michael Phelps surpasses Mark Spitz in Gold Medals won at a single Olympics, winning eight.
>September 1–September 14 – Hurricane Ike makes landfall on Texas as Category 2 and kills 27 in the United States, after killing four in Cuba, one in the Dominican Republic, and 75 in Haiti.
>November 4 – United States presidential election, 2008: Barack Obama is elected the 44th President of the United States. Barack Obama becomes the first African-American President-elect.

Happy Birthday to my Funny Man Crush!

I have a funny-man crush on Zach Galifianakis. He is sooo hairy and sooo funny, I would love to pal around with him for a weekend.

Happy 42nd Birthday!