~And the winners are...~

Wow! TWO HUNDRED THREE entries for my give-away! That would be a record number of comments on any post at my blog! *Smiles*

Using this random number generator, I picked the winners.

The first prize, a set of zipper pouches and thank you notes, goes to:
Sarah at Love Well

The second prize, a set of four coasters, goes to:
Sibyl, whose blog profile did not show up. Please e-mail me at mrstammys@hotmail.com! ETA: 8/4/07 I have not heard from Sibyl, so I have selected another contest winner.

If I do not receive word from one or the other within a week, I will select another winner.

And if you *need* some zippered pouches, and I didn't pull your name out of the hat, please visit my Etsy shop. There, you will be able to purchase these two sets:

A black set with lime green trim:




Or a cherry set:

~Simple Pleasures~

Maybe you know someone who grew up "poor", or maybe that someone was you. Well, "poor" people don't have as much to spend on food, right? So they eat..."rice and beans", or whatever the person buying food deems inexpensive.

Well, I'll tell you...growing up, we were not "poor"...my parents may not have had a lot of money (they didn't), but we kids never thought we were poor. To me, "poor" is more of an attitude than a financial status. We didn't live on borrowed credit either. You know, enjoy today, pay later. Nope. We were the ones who ate beans and rice, and lots of other simple, healthy food.

And you know what? to this day I love simple, healthy food. I do not enjoy food that is artificially flavored, loaded with sugar, or packed with calories.

Why do I enjoy these foods? Because it was dinner. Dinner was a happy time, family all around the table (I do suppose I have selective memory, because not every.single.dinner was a joyous celebration of family! LOL BUT the happy times are the ones I remember!) My parents didn't gripe about not being able to afford filet mignon. I do remember my dad joking around when I was little about a certain dish being "po' folk food". And I thought he was joking, I had no clue that he really was serious! *Smiles*

Tonight I cooked a pot of beans. OH they smell so delicious! I love plain pinto beans. I cooked them with an onion and garlic, and that's how I'll eat them...too yummy!

I would like to clarify by saying that if you don't like a certain food because you associate it with being poor, with a bad memory, or whatever, that isn't wrong! For instance, I know a man who doesn't like lamb because he ate a lot of it while he was in WWII, and a lady I know doesn't like split pea soup because it was the last meal she fed her mother on her death bed. Everyone is different in how they handle circumstances through life, and if a specific food triggers bad memories, then why eat it?

~Whew~

Is everyone sitting at their computers, hopping from one contest to the next? I'm at entry #320 right now. There's a lot of neat stuff out there in bloggy land! If you haven't already done so, please enter my give-away...friends, family, bloggy friends alike! A friend from church has already entered!

I'm going to have to go to the store and get some more zippers, and stock my Etsy shop with zippered pouches. That way, they are available to more than just the contest winner! *Smiles*

I can't believe how many people have entered my contest, and I hope many more still do! I almost wish I had more to give away!

I almost limited my contest to US and Canadian residents, but then I went to USPS and checked on postage costs. It wasn't that much extra at all, so I'm happy to be able to offer the contest to international participants.

NOW...off to enter some more give-aways!

~Dog Days of Summer Give-Away~

Happy Monday! *Waving "hi"* to everyone who has stopped by! I am excited about this bloggy give-away that Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer is hosting. Please stop by Shannon's blog for a list of other give-aways!

This contest is open to people from all countries.


The first person whose name is drawn will receive two small zippered pouches which I made, along with a packet of six note cards:



The smallest zipper pouch has a vinyl pocket on the outside, for ID, bus pass, etc. I have one of these pouches in my purse, and it is just right for my lip gloss and lip stick. The other zipper pouch has a contrasting fabric pocket on the outside. Both are lined with the same fabric:



The second person's name I draw will receive a set of four coasters, also made by myself:



To enter, please just leave a comment! Thank you for stopping by! I will be drawing names on Friday evening (around 8 p.m. EDT). Please note: If you do not have a Blogger account, and you leave a comment through the anonymous feature, you must leave your name as well. I will delete all anonymous comments which do not have a name associated with them.

ETA, Friday 9 p.m.: Comments are now closed.

~I am so not on a 100 Mile Diet~

Have you heard of the movement which calls for eating only food grown in a 100-mile radius of your town? I suppose I understand the whys of this movement, but I don’t know how well it would work for me.

I do enjoy getting food from my local farmer’s market. It’s fresh and tasty, and hasn’t sat in cold storage for weeks before it ends upon my table.

The real purpose of this post is to say I’m a little rebellious when it comes to this mentality. The 100-mile diet would work for someone who lives in a milder climate, and could obtain a nutritionally-balanced diet year round. Here in Michigan, I can guarantee there’s nothing fresh within a 100-mile radius in the dead of winter, unless someone is growing mushrooms in their basement. ;-)

I’m elated when I go to the grocery store and see fruit for sale that was packed near my hometown in California. Because my dad worked for the USDA for many years as a fruit inspector, I’m familiar with many of the packing shed names and locations. Last week I was at the grocery store and glanced at the fruit. It all looked so yummy, but I wasn't there for fruit. But then I saw the label on the side of the plum box. It was from a packing shed that I used to drive by every single day on my way to work. I couldn't resist then! I had to have some. Besides, the grocery store was calling them plums, but they were really pluots. And pluots are way sweeter than regular plums! And then the amazing thing happened...three of them jumped into my cart!!! OK, I admit, I put them there! And I enjoyed them later! MMMMM.

~My Mom's the best!~

Thursday I got a package in the mail from my mom. She sent me some fabric (3/8 yard cuts):


and zippers!


Woohoo! I have zippers! *Grin* No more zipper woes.

~Potato Salad~

This recipe is one I got when I had been married just shy of a year. We had been invited to a church family's home for the 4th of July, and the hostess made this delicious potato salad. Kevin loved it so much, he asked me to get the recipe. Whenever I make potato salad, this is the recipe I use.

Potato Salad

Russet Potatoes, peeled, cubed, and cooked until tender
Hard boiled eggs (1 to 1 1/2 per pound of potatoes)
Pickles (1/2 to 1 large pickle per pound of potatoes)
Olives
Garlic Salt
Onion Salt
Mayonnaise

Drain and cool the potatoes. Sprinkle a light layer of onion salt and garlic salt onto the potatoes. Slice the olives into the potatoes, then grate the eggs and pickles into the potatoes also. Add some mayonnaise and mix. Keep adding mayonnaise until the mixture is coated and not dry. Taste the salad and make sure there is enough onion salt and garlic salt in it. Add more and mix if necessary.

***
I usually use about 8-10 potatoes, and 4-6 eggs. Instead of grating the eggs, I slice them both ways using an egg slicer. Kevin doesn't care for a lot of pickles, so I usually use just one small pickle. The onion salt and garlic salt are both important to this recipe, make sure you use both! Remember that you can always add more, but you can't take out what you've already put in! So season sparingly at first.

***
I made this while Kevin was in college, for a picnic with all the bus workers on our bus route. One of the guys told me it was the best potato salad ever, and that he liked it so much because it didn't have olives in it. His mom, apparently, always made potato salad with olives in it. I smiled and said thank you, looked at the salad he still had on his plate, noting that his salad did indeed have olives in it. I didn't want to disappoint him and tell him that mine had olives in it too. LOL

~Last post for tonight!~

Well, I've been in a chatty mood tonight! After being vacant from my bloggy home, I had a lot to post, I guess!

Thank you for all the kind comments on the Thanksgiving in July posts, and for the comments regarding my new picture. You all are the best blog readers ever. =)

I'm really excited, because I'm going to be participating in this:

The way it works is simple: those who have give-aways will all post their link at Rocks in My Dryer next Monday, and people can go from blog to blog and enter contests! Sounds like fun to me! I have a fun made-by-me give-away planned. Stay tuned!

Now, don't forget, I've posted four entries today. So keep scrolling and scrolling down. *Grin*

~Projects I want to do~

I am an avid book-checker outer, pattern seeker-outer when it comes to knitting patterns. I never have to wonder what my next knitting project will be, because I have a long list of projects and ideas!

My one sweater project remains in my knitting bag, while socks, gifts, and my afghan fly off the needles! I will finish this sweater! And I'm going to do it before I start any other big project!

However, I have a few projects that I've come across recently that I just love.

From the July 2007 issue of Creative Knitting:



I adore sailor collars!

In Knit 2 Together, the "Rowena Cardigan":



and from the book Cables Untangled, the "His/Hers Reversible Scarf":



I've wanted to make a cabled scarf for ages, but I don't like the way the back looks on most cabled scarves. This one is the same on both sides! So it doesn't matter which side you see, it looks nice either way!

~Thanksgiving in July, Part 5~

This will be the last post on "Thanksgiving in July", but I am still seeking to thank the Lord for the little things, and big things, that He does for me on a daily basis. I wrote this post a few days ago, and haven't posted it because I do not want it to sound as if I'm bragging. I'm not...I'm thankful and in awe of all the Lord has done for me.

Psalm 121
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Last night I opened my Bible to read a short passage before going to bed. My eye caught Psalm 121, because I had written beside it that it was my great-grandpa's favorite passage.

I read the chapter, and found great comfort in the promises from the Lord. Later, and today, I was thinking back on this chapter, and the fact that it was my great-grandpa's favorite. But that's not all...I remember him telling me that it was his mother's favorite. A few days ago, when I was cleaning in my sewing room, I came across a birthday card in which my grandpa (my great-grandpa's son) had written Psalm 121:1 in. I find such comfort in knowing that for many generations, my family members have gone to the Word of God for their comfort and help.

Today, my heart is full of thankfulness for the godly heritage I have! I know that it is not something to take for granted.

Whether you have parents and grandparents who served the Lord, or not, just remember that a long line of godly Christians can start with you. Or, should you be blessed with a godly heritage, a long line of godly Christians can end with you, if you do not take care to share the gospel.

~Garbage Bags~

A month or so ago, I was standing in the household goods aisle at the grocery store, and suddenly I had a great thought.

"If I spend a cent or more per bag, maybe my trash will stay in my garbage bags!"

And so, I broke down and spent a little more for trash bags. For the seven years I've been married, I have been buying the cheapest garbage bags possible. Guess what? You get what you pay for! For seven years I've been cleaning up garbage left from split seams and gaping holes in my trash bags.

I'm taking my trash bags to the next level! *Giggles* Seriously though, the bags I bought were not that much more than the cheap-o bags I used to buy. They are nice and sturdy, and I haven't had one leakage problem since!

Sometimes, it pays to spend a little more! This is one such case!

~Pictures~

One of the things I bought at IKEA was this framed artwork:


It cost $9.99, and was nicer than the picture frames without artwork in them. Instead of mats, the glass is etched, and the photos "float" behind the glass. It looked so pretty.

I cropped several pictures that I've taken, printed them on photo quality paper (at home), and Kevin mounted them right over the pictures that it came with.

The effect is very nice, I think:


I originally bought it for the living room, but it looked so much nicer against the green paint in the dining room, so that's where I hung it.

~Hey! it's a "plantiversary!"

What, you mean you've never heard of a plantiversary? LOL I was going through pictures on my computer last night and saw the picture I took of my tiny little houseplant that I purchased a year ago. Wow, I have kept it alive for a whole year!

The day I bought it:



Today:



I re-potted quite a while ago, and it is growing well. The only thing about it is that I haven't had any luck getting it to bloom again. I recently bought some fertilizer sticks and put them in the soil. We'll see if that helps!

~Back from IKEA!~

We had a nice time today at IKEA! I took my camera and was going to take pictures...but I forgot. LOL

IKEA is so fun to shop at. The first time we went, we lived in California. I don't remember having heard of IKEA previous to our first time there, but I looked up "furniture" in the phone book, and IKEA was listed, and we went. I had birthday money that I spent, if I remember correctly.

Today I got glasses (a dozen for $5.99):


They are nice and sturdy, and hold up well. This is the third time I've bought them.

This nifty tea light holder:





And then also a pillow, tea infuser, wooden spoons, measuring cups, six little bowls, which are the perfect size for servings of things like applesauce, yogurt, and ice cream, kitchen shears, a picture frame, spice jars with nice little lids which you can sprinkle or pour from, and a clock.

IKEA is the type of store where impulse is fun. You just never know what you need till you see it. LOL The bowls and glasses were the only items I was planning to get before we went, but I did had a budget for my spending, and took a few things out of my cart in order not to overspend.

I really wanted this magazine holder, but the only one they had was the model. It just seems like the perfect thing to keep knitting projects in. I could keep it in the living room, don't you think? I thought that I'd order it online, but I see that it isn't available online. Oh, why, oh why? LOL



Now I need to go do a few things about the house so that Sunday and next week go well!

~Thanksgiving in July, Part 4~

Since I didn't blog yesterday, this is "Part 4" instead of "Day 4", of my posts of thankfulness to the Lord.

We as Christians have so many things to be thankful for. Not only do we have a promised home in heaven, we have the Lord Jesus with us always. What wonderful comfort we have in those promises!

I do not know if this week has been one of testing because I publicly said I was going to be thankful, but I do know that I have grown closer to the Lord by seeking to thank Him and be in a thankful attitude!

Today, I am thankful for:

***the rain! As Kevin said, "Free water!" As many people do, we pay for our water based on usage. This summer has been dry, and we've needed to water our lawn quite frequently. The recent rain has eliminated the need to turn the sprinklers on...at least for a day or two!


***The anticipation of shopping at IKEA! We are going there this afternoon! I love IKEA...great prices, huge store, great items, and great cinnamon rolls. *Grin*

***A nice, long conversation with my Mom this morning.

Have a very nice Saturday!

~Thanksgiving in July, Day 3~

Thank you for the comments under yesterday's post! It is not easy to have a thankful attitude while going through trying circumstances, and I don't want to give the impression that I was in a thankful attitude all day long! Nobody's perfect, you know. *Smiles*

Today I'm thankful for:
***My wonderful husband! Tonight he made dinner and did all the laundry (sorry ladies, he's taken!!!).

***KFC Famous Bowls. A very satisfying "comfort food" type lunch, if you do not happen to have a packed lunch available, that is!

~Thanksgiving in July, Day 2~

I'll be honest. Today has been one of those days where you either laugh or cry, and I ended up crying, not laughing. But there are still things to be thankful about!

The Bible says:

Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

So even though the circumstances of my day have not gone well, I can still rejoice!

Today I'm thankful for:
***The gorgeous, gorgeous weather. Oh, it is so beautiful today! It has been hot and muggy, but we have a respite from the mugginess!

***And that leads me to: I had a good hair day! That may seem trivial, but hey, have you ever had a terrible day, and had a bad hair day on top of it? Every time you pass a mirror, you feel worse and worse! The humid summers do not treat my hair kindly, so I was quite happy for a good hair day!


***The box of Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chai tea I found at my desk today. I totally forgot I had it at work, and enjoyed my cup immensely!

***The lovely blueberries, cherries and peaches I got today at a fruit stand. All of them were grown here in Michigan! Mmmm...some are going in the freezer, and some are going to be enjoyed in the next few days!

~Thanksgiving in July~

Many stores will have Christmas sales in July. This week, I plan on having Thanksgiving in July!


No, I’m not going to roast a turkey and prepare all the trimmings! I’m going to “think to thank”. It is so easy to get into an unthankful attitude, and I don’t wish to do that! Our Lord is so wonderful and He’s given us so many blessings!


Psalm 68:19 says:

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.”

Today, I thank the Lord for:
***The sun that's shining and the privilege of having air conditioning!
***My flowers that are growing. See what I mean? I have four plants that have died and I'm focusing on them instead of the other plants that are doing just fine!
***The yummy stir-fry that my husband made last night (and we enjoyed again for lunch today). I didn't have to cook last night!

What are some things that you are thankful for?

~Oh rats, I'm out of zippers!~

I've made two little zippered pouches, the one I showed you yesterday, and one previous to that. I was pleased with both, but the zipper end bugged me, where it curved way in, instead of being straight all the way across the top.

Through a Google search and a walk during lunch I figured out how to make it straight:



I love these little pouches! The only thing stopping me from making more is lack of zippers!

~Little Zippered Pouch~

To go in my new purse, and keep my lip balm and lipstick handy, a little zippered pouch, with vinyl pocket:




I followed the tutorial found here. The only thing I did differently was to install the zipper close to the zipper teeth, and I left off the ring, since I won't be attaching it to anything. It's a quick, fun little project. I used scraps left from my fabric win from Sew, Mama, Sew!

~My Holiday~

I hope everyone had a great 4th! We had a very nice day, spent at home in the morning, and then over to a friend's for the afternoon and dinner. I took along my afghan and worked on it while we talked. It's growing:



Stripey goodness:



On the way home, we saw fireworks, and stopped to watch them. It was a nice little show! We pulled off a side street and didn't have to hassle with any traffic once they were over. I tried the fireworks setting on my camera, which was the first time I've used it. I think I need a tripod if I'm going to try it again. One shot was ok:


But then the rest look like this:


We got home late and I slept in this morning a bit. I decided to have breakfast at Panera Bread. I had a cinnamon crunch bagel and a cup of tea. I would have had a chai tea latte, but their espresso machine was undergoing regular maintenance. That saved me some money and calories. LOL

While I ate breakfast, I read a library book, French Women Don't Get Fat. It is quite an interesting read. I suppose I shouldn't have been reading a diet book while eating though. *Grin*

Then I went shopping. It seems everything of mine is dilapidated and in need of replacing: shoes, purse, etc. etc.. So I got some of those things. I am always in a hurry when I'm shopping, and it's hard to pick out those items when you're in a hurry!

I bought three pairs of shoes. If you've read my 101 List, you may have seen that one of my goals was to buy three pairs of shoes during one shopping trip. That may seem like an odd goal, but I greatly dislike shopping for shoes, and I have a hard time finding shoes that fit me! My shoes practically fall apart before I get around to replacing them, that's how much I dislike shopping for shoes! So a three-shoe shopping trip would be a marvelous feat.

And it was:


Yes, two of them are the same. But that bow! I couldn't resist!


I went to a near-by town and had lunch at a little cafe-style restaurant...again reading my book. I was glad to have the book, because the service was a little slow. But that was fine by me, I had plenty of time to read! I took a little walk along a river after lunch. I spotted these pretty flowers (or weeds?):


That pretty much sums up my little holiday! While I did do a lot of shopping, I spent my time browsing, so I don't feel tired from rushing about! I feel refreshed and ready to go back to work tomorrow! *Smiles*

I wanted to say thank you to all of you who have commented on the gift card post. It has been fun to read the comments!

~Gift Cards~

After reading an online article that both shamed gift card buyers, and proclaimed their thoughtfullness (Hmm? how can both be true? Apparently if you give a gift card to a store it is tacky, but if you give a gift card for a spa it is perfectly fine), I thought I'd write my thoughts on gift cards!

I, for one, love to receive a gift card. I am not going to look down my nose on a gift! No siree! The fact that someone was thinking of me, and wanted to give me something is enough to be thankful for. I have yet to receive a gift card that I haven't had use for. Why would I think that a $30 gift card is rude? Someone spent money on me, and they took the time to get the gift card at the store they thought I would most enjoy.

I have given gift cards as well. Sometimes I send gift cards as birthday gifts to family members. We have given gift cards for stores and restaurants. Last year as part of our Christmas present to my family, we gave them a check for a certain place they like to eat at. They took some fun and crazy pictures of the meal, and it was enjoyable to get those by e-mail later on!

Personally, I do not feel it is rude to give a gift card. I think it is rude to feel any gift is rude!

Now, of course, it is always a pleasure to open a gift that someone thoughtfully picked out for you. I love to be on the receving end as well as the giver of such gifts, and an actual gift is my preference to give.

When Kevin and I got married, we received quite a bit of cash, checks, and gift cards. Do you know how helpful those were in starting our new life together? While I had to return quite a few gifts because they were duplicated (I can't remember how many towels I returned, stainless steel bowls, etc), we had plenty of immediate uses for the monetary gifts! We got our curio cabinet for our china, I stocked our pantry, and I made many trips to Wal-mart and Target to fill in all those household items that you don't think of when you're registering, um, china and sheets!

Emily Post may not agree with me, but that's quite all right by me! A gift is a gift. It is not a payment, or something that is owed. The receiver should be thankful no matter what the gift. In our entitlement society, the giftee feels entitled to demand thoughtful and meaningful gifts. I'm glad that the people I give gifts to do not feel this way!

Do you give gift cards as gifts? If you receive a gift card do you feel as though the person giving the card has not put any thought into it?

~No Bake Cookies~

On Sunday afternoon, I tried my hand at no-bake cookies. They were really good! I used the recipe here, if you feel inclined to whip up a batch for yourself. At this time of year, it is really nice to have a little treat without heating up the whole house! I've never made them before, but I sure have enjoyed them before! If I had know how very easy they were, I probably would have made them a long time ago.

~Ladies Finishing School~

Elizabeth at A Merry Rose is hosting a 12-week Ladies Finishing School. The first week has already been completed. However, this coming week is somewhat of a break for the holidays, so you have time to catch up if you are interested.


Emma at Charming the Birds from the Trees hosted the first week. Her topic was personal presentation, and she left me with much food for thought. Her posts for the Finishing School were:


The Feminine Attitude
Health
Posture
Grooming
Wardrobe


I greatly appreciated Emma's presentation of these topics. She admitted that several of these topics were ones that she herself was still working on. In the blogging world, one can type anything and no one will no the difference, so it is nice to come across a blogger who is candid. It makes the teaching easier to digest than if the blogger comes across as a know-it-all!

This week, check back with Elisabeth's blog to read short biographies of American women.

~How is it...~

...That the beginning of the month comes so shortly after the end of the last month? *Silly Grin*

I remember reading that years ago in the Reader's Digest. It was a real excuse someone gave for not paying their rent on time.

A dear sister of mine may not get her birthday present on time, not because I forgot about her. Oh, no. I've been working on her present for the last month + during my lunch break at work. By the sounds of things, it should be a gigantic present. But it really isn't all that large...so as you minght guess, I haven't been actively working on it for the whole month!

But it did surprise me that it's already July 2. Where did June go?!?!

~There's always something to knit!~

~Two Miles~

I took my new bike out for a spin last night. My bike has a sweet little odometer on it, which does make a bit of a clicking noise, but it's oh-so-very-nice to know how far I've gone! It shows milage in the 100ths!

I made it back home in one piece too! I totally think it needs a basket now. A cute little one right on the front will do just fine! I just checked e-bay and found some options:



The woven basket is more expensive, of course, being that it's the one that I'd really like! LOL It will probably be awhile till I get a basket for my bike!

~Can someone please tell me...~

How do I post a YouTube video on my blog. Not the link, but the actual video?

A million thanks in advance! =)

~I'm killing my flowers with water and dirt~

My impatiens aren't doing as well this year, as they did last year. I've had four or five plants just completely die. Just like that, they're dead! I had to buy some more plants to fill in the holes in my flower bed, and while I was at the nursery, I got a little help. First of all: too much water. Secondly: I mixed in top soil and I guess that was a bad thing to do. It holds the moisture in, which doesn't seem like a bad thing to me, but I guess it is if there is too much moisture to hold in.

I'm glad that:
a) Nothing is eating them. I couldn't imagine what it might be.
b) There were plenty of red impatiens still at the nursery. I can fill my holes in.
c) The people at the nursery were helpful. I simply can't stand to shop somewhere if you know that you're not going to get any help.
d) I don't have to water so often! It's nice to know that I can go a day in between waterings. Last summer I had to water every day.

~Anne Quiz~

How Well Do You Know Anne?

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You know Anne very well! Good job :)
Take this quiz!



This quiz covers Anne book knowledge as well as things found in the movies. It has been a while since I read the books, so two of the answers I gave were just lucky guesses. If you take it, let me know how you did!

~Wheeeeee~

This evening while we were out on an errand, we passed a yard that had several bikes in it for sale. I've been wanting a bike for a little while, so I asked if we could stop on our way back home and look at the bikes.

This one immediately caught my attention:
(Sorry for the blurriness....it's too dark to get another picture!)


I ended up bringing it home with me! Now I have no excuse not to get out and get some exercise! But...after riding it 'round the block just once, my legs feel like jelly. Uh oh. Looks like I've got some work to do!

I just love the vintageness of it! (Is vintageness a word?) It is mostly all original, including the paint, seat, handles, etc. It brings back fond memories of my second bike, which was a blue Schwinn that my dad bought and fixed up for me. It also brings back fond memories of riding my bike up and down the street for seemingly hours, and not feeling any muscle pain afterwards. Ah, those were the days! LOL

~So if you pay $800 for the haircut...~

...how much do you give for the tip?

Seriously, there is a hairstylist who charges $800 per haircut. Yes, really.

~News Flash~

I'm very excited to announce that I now have an apron in my Etsy Shop. There will be more to come!



I love this apron so much! Kevin wondered if it were possible for me to sell it, I like it so much!

~Linky, Linky~

Have you ever remembered a quote, yet had difficulty remembering who it was by, or you needed to know the exact quote? This site is a great tool! While I was there, I enjoyed reading through Benjamin Franklin’s quotes. Some were quotes I’ve not heard before.

I thought this was funny:

“A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats.”

and this is oh, so true:

“A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over.”

Mrs. U is celebrating her blog’s first anniversary in style! She is having a give-away filled with all kinds of neat stuff! To enter, click here.

I’ve been enjoying some craft and knitting blogs for a while. I thought you might enjoy looking at them too. Please note that by linking to these blogs, I am not giving a blanket endorsement of everything they say!

Sew, Mama, Sew!
All This By Hand (I want to make this quilt top! It looks so fun and easy!)
i have to say
Posie Gets Cozy
Primrose Design

Do you have any other craft/sewing/knitting blogs that you enjoy?

If you’re interested in being frugal, here’s a blog with great ideas! Every Friday The Mother Load has links for free samples and free products. My mail carrier must love me. (LOL) The samples have been arriving regularly since I started reading this blog. I’ve gotten everything from tooth paste to cereal to laundry detergent. It’s nice to try out a new product without having to buy it! And if you have an Aldi store nearby, check out Amy's Aldi blog as well.

Have fun clicking! *Grin*

~Ah, sleep!~

I have to say it is remarkable what a good night’s sleep will do for you! I got at least nine hours, if not nine and a half hours, of sleep last night, and it was much appreciated and needed!

I need to stop this late night early morning stuff. Even the Bible says it isn’t good:

“It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late” (Psalm 127:2a)

And Benjamin Franklin said:

“Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

Since I’m not accomplishing much by staying up late, I have no true reason to stay up! Thank you for all the kind comments in my previous post. I appreciate them!

~Well...since I thought today was Wednesday~

...I'm doing pretty good. Two posts in a row.

But today isn't Wednesday. It's Thursday. At least it's not Friday or Saturday!

Work has been busy, and I'm tired all.the.time. I'm starting to wonder if something is wrong. But then I remember that I go to bed at 11 o'something most nights, and sometimes 12 o'something...and maybe that is why I'm always tired?

This is kind of a whiny post, which I don't typically do, but I'm too tired to think straight. I'll probably take this down tomorrow.

I think I'll go to bed early tonight!

And maybe in the morning I'll feel a little more intelligent and come up with something witty and wonderful to post.

OH I don't quite know how it happened, but my flower pincushion tutorial link is making it's rounds amongst French blogs. It's cool to check my site meter and see all the foreign hits!

~Cinnamon Rolls~

When I saw the link for “Land of Nod Cinnamon Rolls” on Mrs. U’s blog, I knew that I wanted to make these! They sounded so easy, and so good!

Here’s the recipe I followed. Mrs. U made her own dough, but I opted for the frozen dinner rolls.

This recipe is incredibly easy, and if you host a breakfast/brunch, or you need something for your husband or you to take in to work, this is the perfect item. These are so, so good!

They really aren’t that expensive either. I bought the Meijer brand dinner rolls for $1.49, used half a package of vanilla pudding mix ($.50), and one quarter pound of butter ($.71). Since I already had the brown sugar and the cinnamon, I spent a grand total of $2.70.

I will be making these again! Next time, I might consider cutting the brown sugar down to ¾ cup instead of 1 cup. My only modification to the recipe this time was that I mixed all the ingredients together before I sprinkled it over the top of the rolls in the pan.

Mmmm, mmmm good!

~Tea Cozy~

Last November, Jodi posted about "window shopping" for tea products, and it further enhanced a desire I had to have a tea cozy.

My sisters and brother gave Kevin and me a beautiful tea set for our wedding. They purchased it at an antique store, and it includes: a teapot, a sugar and creamer, six teacups with saucers, a serving plate, and six plates that are a bit larger than the saucers.

I think the tea cozies here are just lovely. They seemed so expensive to me, especially since I can sew.

I purchased a pattern at JoAnn's when they were on sale, and thought about what fabric I would like to use. Remember the fabric I won from Sew, Mama, Sew!? One night I yawned and dragged myself out of the living room to get ready for bed. The next time Kevin saw me, I was sitting on the sewing room floor, with a huge smile on my face, cutting out fabric! LOL It dawned on me that the fabric just might work for a tea cozy!

And it did:



Won't you have a spot of tea with me?

~Big sigh of relief!~

The phone lines are up and running as of this morning! Whew! Still have to figure out what's going on with the fax machine, but that's ok. We can deal with that!

In other news, dinner last night was so good! *Grin* I browned a pound of ground beef, and made enchiladas by rolling ground beef and cheese in tortillas. I topped the enchiladas with mild enchilada sauce (canned), sliced tomato, and some olives. Yummy!

~Just a note~

To the person who keeps searching for "Cleanliness is next to godliness" as a Bible verse: I'm sorry, but you will not find that in the Bible. It is an an adage, or proverb.

Thanks for visiting my blog, though! *smiles*

~Modern Technology~

It's so handy, isn't it? Except, when it doesn't work right, and then everything is out of whack!

Our phone lines at work went down yesterday afternoon, and were down all day today. That meant no one could call, fax, or e-mail us. How nice, a quiet day, right? Well, not exactly! Thankfully we were able to get all the calls routed to my boss's cell phone. I, being the primary phone-answerer, of course answered all the calls. I had to explain a *gazillion* times about our phone system being out though!

We had one fax that had to go out today, so my boss took it to Kinko's. Do you know how much it cost to send a four-page fax? Five dollars! Wowsers. And no, it wasn't going overseas! LOL

I'm hoping that the lines will be back up tomorrow! It would sure make life easier!

I was thinking today of the early pioneers. They left their friends and family, and many of them never saw their family again. They couldn't pick up a phone and chat with them, or send out a quick e-mail either. Their only means of communication was by letter. It makes me thankful that even though I am over 2,000 miles from my family, I can still e-mail, talk to them, and see them every once in a while!

~Pizza~

Pizza for dinner.
Pizza for breakfast.
Pizza for lunch.

Someone needs to go grocery shopping!

LOL

Last night we ordered pizza since we had a lot of things around the house that we needed to do. I got my garden bed ready for planting, but nothing planted. I got some housework done. I was totally bushed, so I didn't end up going grocery shopping. So now I'll do it tonight.

I cooked a corned beef brisket in the crock pot last night, and pulled it out and stuck it in the fridge before leaving for work. So at least I have dinner half-way finished for tonight! (No more pizza! LOL)

I also have a dental appointment this afternoon. I'm hoping for no cavities!

Have a great day!

~I spy with my little eye...~

Can you see anything else but sand?

*Shudder, shudder*

(This is the very last picture from our vacation trip!)

~View from Fort Mackinac~

This is a "stitched" picture, from about four or five pictures I took. I love this program that came with my camera! (Click on the picture to enlarge it.)

I have one more vacation picture to post, and then that's it! *Smiles*

~Bleeding Heart~

Seen on Mackinac Island.