Sew Perfect for Every Body!

Who built the Ark?

2012-01-26T08:50:00.001-08:00

I received a phone call from my sister , she is involved in the bible drama that the children will act out for their congregation. The date of the Play is March 4th.

Noah's ark! There will be 15 children in the drama not counting the one who will be the different animals going into the ark. Which is a great way to make sure every child has a part to play.

She asked me to make the costumes! Fortunately she asked my cousin to help as well. Once I find my camera I will have pictures to post. The family of the child will be responsible for providing the materials of each costume. My sister thought those who did not have material could make a donation of 7.00 for the costumes.

She caught me just as I am in the middle of making another mei tai baby carrier but it will all work out eventually. The first meeting will be this sunday and I should have the tunic which will be used as the beginning for each costume. This will allow me to make some adjustment and styling of the costume once I am sure which child each one is for.

So I will be making 5 costumes for children and 2 costumes for adults who play the role of the nephlim. Both of these men are about 7 feet tall to the average height of a 7, 9 11 year old. I am sure they look like giants to them anyway.

I am excited about this one. I have not made costumes in a long time. This should be fun!

I need to sell some stuff.

2012-01-19T09:07:00.000-08:00

This is a rocking chair for a little child. It was given to me for some strange reason. The seat needs repair. I would price it at 20.00

This is one of 2 fresco pictures that I got at burlington... I would price it at 10.00

This is a painting that I purchased from one of the home shows. I paid about 125.00 for it... sell it for 70.00?

I got this as a housewarming gift after the fire in the house on hays street..... 10.00

This is a painting from the homeshow which I always have in my bedroom. I paid 250.00 for this... I guess sell it for 100.00?

Everytime I attempt to post items on craiglist I never get any responses. These are personal items that I had before i was married so I will not have to hear from hubby " Why are you trying to get rid of my stuff?"

I need to know how to word the ads and price it right so that I will successfull sell the stuff listed. Any help will be appreciated.

3 broken needles and a blister

2012-01-04T20:12:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of my sewing room I took the pictures without the flash so you can see just how dark the room is.

This is what it looks like with the flash on the camera.

I wish my room had this much light. I will search out a Ott-light floor lamp that will help a lot.

I have made up my mind to focus on the things that make me happy. I brought in the New Year the way I usually do. By myself in my sewing room.

I made a Scandi Mei Tai When I am working on a project I can forget about my surrounding and just work and dispite the darkness it was not a major problem. My problem involved broken needles. When sewing through the padding on the straps and waist tie I was sewing through 2 layers of duck cloth and 4 layers of fleece and my machine was not cooperating. So at times I had to pull the strap through while stitching which of course moved the needle and so 3 broken needles later I decided to just turn the wheel and sew it slowly once I was finally finished I had a beautiful blister.

Once I was done I was quite happy with the end result and decided to make at least 2 more. This was was a special request by Betty,and I am happy to have it complete.

I am will get the box from the post office tomorrow and get this in the mail. I am not sure about making more I done want to invest in needles of bandages for blisters.

Right now I am working on a straight skirt and shirt for me to wear next week. I am also searching for gray knit material to make a sweater dress.

This year should be filled with lots of completed projects!

Return of doom and gloom

2011-12-12T18:21:00.000-08:00

I have come to realise that my panic attacks are a result of the realization that I will never feel like the place i currently live in as my home. I DO NOT LIKE THIS PLACE AND MY HEART CRYS OUT IN PAIN!!

My sewing space is super small and very dark i cannot see well enough to complete started projects. Maybe i will feel better if i can get some light in the room.

I almost left work today because my pain was intense today. Pain in my knees,back,head,chest. I have to figure out how to survive in this place. I am not sure if i can but will attempt to fight thru.

My next post will be after i have been able to deal with the drama i have created in my mind. Pray for me!

Blue in need of Yellow and Red

2011-11-19T16:54:00.000-08:00

11/19

In about 8 months I will be 50 years old. I never really paid too much attention to my age.
As long as I am able to do what I enjoy age is really not a factor. However lately I have had a lot of doctor appointments.

This increase in appointments started with the feeling of something was in my throat all the time. I cough to clear my throat, I took allergy medicine thinking of sinus drainage causing the problem but after 3 weeks decided to go to see the doctor.

This appointment lead to a series of appointments for testing and then appointments to get results of testing only to make new appointments for additional testing.. Results of all this testing a node on my thyroid was found and new treatment for my GERD.

Prilosec every morning and zantac 1 hour after last meal of the day. After about 8 days the feeling in my throat was gone. I continue that routine everyday.

When they did a CT scan on my throat to see if something was there, because I kept insisting that there was something in my throat, they discovered the node on my thyroid.

The node on my thyroid needed a biopsy. The doctor put the numbing medicine on my neck and then said “ big pinch” If I am numb no pinch should I feel. Then the needle is injected into the node and then the doctor moves the needle back and forth quickly several times, which hurts! He removes the needle and leaves the room only to return with a new needle to repeat the process. 3 times this is done and then I am given gauze to hold on my neck with some pressure to stop bleeding and prevent bruising.

I had to have this appointment 2 times because the first biopsy testing results were non conclusive! The biopsy that was just completed friday, I should have results by time of next doctors appointment in December.

2 Weeks ago I had a resurgence of my asthma coughing until I could not breathe. I got a refill on my inhaler and this did help but the coughing will not stop. I have a doctors appointment December for this as well.

Last week I started seeing flashes of light that were not part of a migraine headache so I made an appointment to see the doctor.

After 2 hours of testing it was explained to me that the gel that fills the eye is separating from the wall of the eye. It usually happens when you are older but because my eyes are so bad it would happen to me earlier in life. When we are younger in are teens and twenty the gel in our eyes is the consistency of Jello and this gets softer as we get older and pulls away from the wall of the eye. The retina is the wallpaper of the eye and it is important that it does not get any damage to it (tear) if this happens then laser surgery is needed to save the vision in the eye. So I am no allow to do anything stressful such as lifting, exercising and no quick of jerking movement to my head. I am to go back in 4 weeks to check the eye to make sure no damage has been done to the retina. If I see an increase in the flashes of light or feel like a curtian is covering part of my eye I am to go the the Emergency Department right away!

I had to go back to the office and continue working with all this information in my head.

Today I just sat still all day long. Well I did clean up some stuff but really I am just fighting the blues. I hate feeling this way. I got up this morning and got dress and then sat on the sofa for the 8 hours and then I WAS forced the leave the house for an hour and then I sat on the sofa for the rest of time evening. If the laptop would not have been near I would not have written this.

I have sewing to complete, I have drawing to complete, I have journal that needs to be done but I am not feeling like doing anything.

I hope that tomorrow I will put some yellow and green on the blues and my determination will return so that I can continue my efforts to be Fifty and Fine.

10/31 Strange sights in the Scheduling room...

2011-10-31T20:25:00.000-07:00

Monday 10/31

In the scheduling room today I saw a ninja sneak by my office while a little butterfly ran down the hallway. Santa was getting himself some candy from the basket in my office.

Mustard and Ketchup was talking to a big pink bunny, Groucho Marks was looking for his cigar.
A herd of dinosaurs ran down the other hallway.

I do not like halloween.

No Suicide is not painless...

2011-10-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

10/26/2011

As you read this imagine the theme song from M.A.S.H tv series. The song is suicide is painless..

My dear sweet hubby does not understand why he now has to use 20 cc of insulin everyday in addition to 4 tables of 500 mg metiformin 1 tablet of amaryl (not sure of dosage). When the doctor told him is sugar levels were too high and he need to give himself insulin shots every day he seriously could not see why. I imagine the conversation went something like this:

Well Mr.hubby the meter is showing 312 is your current sugar level the blood-work is showing ac1 at 14. When was the last time you took your medicine?

Hey Doc I just ate some peaches before I came here that why the meter is showing a high number.

That may be the case however that is an extremely high number and the ac1 is way way to high and eating peaches just before today appointment would have slight effect on that. So when did you last take your medicine....last month.

Well I eat a lot of peaches. I had to have eaten 4 or 5 peaches.... I know I have to cut down on my portion sizes...

Mr Hubby. When did you take you last dosage of metiformin? ( the doctor is looking him straight in the face this time.)

It has been a while........ more than 6 months ( hubby is look anywhere be at the doctor)

Did you take your meds at anytime this year?

I know that I did because I had a refilled the medicine this year....

Mr hubby you have not been taking your medicine and you have not paid attention to your diet are your exercising at all.

My wife has a membership where I can go with her to work out

Have you gone?

No.... ( hubby is defeated and he knows it )

So you can understand my exhaustion with him when he tells me the results of his doctors appointment. He tells me that the doctor told him this is his own fault he knew what needed to be done and he gives all sorts of excuses as to why he did not do what he was suppose to do so he needs to have the insulin and hope that the damage to his pancreas is not serious and maybe he can get off the insulin and go back to just pills but that is really depends on him

When I did not respond in any other way than to say “ Do you know what you need to do? Good I will continue to do what I can do help you.”

We went to the Diabetes educator and he was shown how to use the insulin pen to inject himself . Then I was shown how to give him the emergency dosage if he passes out. I am to call 911 first explain what is going on and then give him the injection...

In my mind doing this calmly I would take his sugar level first to see if it is high or low..... if low and he is uncooperative or passed out I will give him the shot and call 911 etc..... who knows i may not every need to do that.

Short person, his daughter, yelled at him for trying to blame the doctor for giving him insulin when “ you did it yourself the doctor gave you insulin so we would not come home find you passed out and then you die!” She went back into her room and came back out later after she was calmer and her dad was asleep.

She explained to me that she can see that diabetes is hereditary and so she need to get herself together. I told her to get as much information that she can get and make whatever lifestyle changes that need to be made done.
I am stressed and have decided that he is actually committing suicide and murder. Because He is killing me as I watch him slowly kill himself. This is very painful..

All Things Creative....

2011-10-21T22:07:00.000-07:00

10/22

I am so behind on my sewing, crocheting, painting and all things creative! Work has become greatly demanding since the Singing scheduler is on family leave. Hubby has a new job working as a dispatcher and he is really happy with that. I have been working with my niece getting everything ready for the audition for costume design at the creative school. High school for her.

I have started drawing everyday to help inspire me creatively and hopefully it will help me.

Lets see,

Betty has a beautiful little boy. I love him just because he is here. The singing scheduler is in the process of adopting a little girl, I hope to see her one day. It will probably be at least 1 month or 2 before that happens.

Betty”s little boy I held in my arms and we talked and he slept. She has a beautiful family, and I am very happy for them.

Since my throat is starting to hurt I will be staying in this weekend my sewing studio will be completely set up. I can start on and finish the sling for Betty. It is so important to get the correct weighted fabric so it can be good and strong.

The game room is finally cleared of a lot of extra stuff. I now have a camera and so soon I will be posting pictures and keeping my blog up date.

Owens family established 1961

2011-10-21T21:36:00.000-07:00

10/21

Today is my parents anniversary, If they were alive they would have been married for 50 years!

I wonder what they would have done to celebrate this milestone. Whatever it would have been I know our family would have come together. Even with all of us it is still quite a small family. 4 daughters 3 of whom are married 3 grandchildren 1 step grandchild. I imagine that we would have a party with all their friends around and end the day with a plane ride to some resort for the honeymoon that they never had that I am aware of.

I miss my parents a lot because we never outgrow our need for them.

This was to be the year I would get my sisters together for a dinner and take the time to look at ourselves through our parents eyes. What would they say to us? What advice would they give us?

My sister(4) is organizing an MBA Gala at the glamorous hotel downtown this weekend. Great opportunity for her I hope all goes well. It was an opportunity the she could not pass up.

Her daughter was Stage manager for a play at the creative arts school. Work was horrible all week long but I got off work and put the effort to get to the school on time. I made it hour and a half early! She did a wonderful job. Everything flowed beautifully The lighting, sound and the no one forgot their lines. Beautiful. I know my parents would have loved it.

My sister(2) who lives out of town, we could barely get her in town when sister (3) was dealing with cancer and our need for her help during her recovery never came.

Well next year i will get everyone together I will start planning in January and sisters ( 1-4) will together.

I am searching for pictures to make a picture quilt that will be a wall hanging in my sewing studio in remembrance of their life and love.

Joe Louis Owens and Sally Mae Williams united as a family October 21, 1961

Final move Hopefully

2011-10-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

October of last year we moved into a cute little cottage and I never really got a chance to set up my sewing room.

October 2011 and we have just moved into my father in law house and in time it will be redecorated so that I can feel comfortable in what is now our new home.

I have the challenge of setting up my sewing room again but right now as I look around me this place looks like a candidate for Hoarders or more like it we need a visit from Niecy Nash (Clean house).

I work on it everyday and soon it will be feeling like home in no time.

Time flies.......

2011-08-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

It is just amazing when I take the time to look at my blog all the stuff that has happen since May 31st. It is too much to tell so I am just going to make it short as possible.

My Sister’s cancer is gone as of now. All testing show that the chemo did its job and since she has the surgery done there is no need for radiation! She is not in the process of getting the tissue expander fill a little every two weeks to get to the size she wants. Then sometime in November she will have the implants put into place.

My cousin Brenda King died. This was stunning to us all she was planning a party for everyone who has helped her to deal with her illness. She went to fashion desgin school and because of her I had experienced what it was to be a model and then what it was to run a fashion runway! I love her very much.

Pap pap died, He fell and hit his head which caused bleeding in his brain and that was and still is heartbreaking and so is living day to day without him. Todd himself day that the funeral was hard but living without him to talk to is even harder.

Pap house was left to his son so we will be moving in. We gave our notice to our landlord and so September we will be out of there and into our new home.

I am working hard to make the house feel like our home and it is taking some time because of over 40 years of stuff in the house. So with cleaning and taking the time to figure out what need to be thrown away in both house it is difficult because I can do something with everything. I do not want to be on an episode of hoarders so I will be getting rid of a lot of stuff! (sigh!)

I still have not found my camera so I will have to buy a new one but I will keep posting as much as I can.

First room to truly complete, Sewing room. This house is a 3 bedroom cottage style house with and addition in the back that is now the game room. We cleared the 3rd bedroom out ( smallest of all the bedrooms) and Sunday I painted it , the color is a Berkley Tan. I will paint the framing of the window and door and milk chocolate brown and pale blue is the other color that will be in the room. I think this will be the colors for the whole house so it will seems coordinated to some degree.

I am sore and tomorrow I will be even stiffer but tonight I go to the old place and clear out the kitchen cabinets and the bathroom and pack up most if not all the stuff in the sewing room. It would take about 90 minutes and then Tuesday I will be cleaning the kitchen cabinet of the new place and restocking it with the pot and pans that I will be keeping. Wednesday moving the sewing room in the new place. That leaves the bedroom, basement, attic for the long weekend.

I know it will not be done that quickly but who knows maybe.

Holding on!

2011-05-31T08:12:00.000-07:00

Right now I am sitting in the waiting room of woman's hospital waiting for the doctor to come out and give us updates on her surgery. It is to take place in 2 surgery one surgery is the removal of the breast (bilateral) and the second is the reconstruction surgery. Total time in the OR 10 Hours add 3 hours in recovery room I guess I will be close to 9:00 before I see her again.

She had mad family support and elder from the congregation come to pray with her.

I am somewhat at ease that the first part of the surgery went fine and anxious in waiting for the second part of the surgery to be done.

This whole year has been a challenge and I have been feeling like I am about the fall apart. Literally fall apart but I have been holding it together but every now and again I slip and feel like I am about to fall off the edge of sanity.

When my cousin died i had to take the week off from work because I was already holding on by my fingertips! There is so much I want to say but it is not formulated correctly in my head so I have to try again another day.

Monday I took the time to clean up my house so that and everything is finally in place and the sewing room need some final touches and this should help me to hold on.

Daily life

2011-03-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

I may get a new body out of this! This is how my sister started a conversation with my just the two days ago. She had been reading a book “John Hopkins Patient Guide to Breast Cancer”.

It was written by a nurse who personally had to deal with breast cancer. B just started reading it and she was please that is was full of useful information she said it was a truly encouraging and helpful book.

She explained how she may get a new body because of the breast cancer.
Get a tummy tuck and new boobs at the same time. TRAM flap reconstruction. Fat and muscle will be taken most commonly from your belly (a TRAM flap, which stands for transverse rectus abdominis muscle); or from your upper back (a LAT flap, latissimus dorsi flap). Resulting in a tummy tuck or a butt lift!
She will be able to keep her boob size and get that flat belly she always wanted. Hey I told her do they have a donator program I will be happy to donate my hip and thigh fat! I will be glad to help a sister out. She just laughed and said that she had enough fat to handle this herself.
She is still reading the book and it is giving her a great deal of information. She has a list of questions for the surgeon for her appointment on the 10th. She asked me if I have any questions she will add them to her list. I thought about that for a while I have been so busy making sure she is tolerating the chemo will that I am forgetting the other phases of her treatment. I am going to find the book and read it myself and see if I can truly get a grasp on how she is feeling. I am trying to know what she is dealing with but I am still on the outside watching what has now become a part of her daily living.
Our daily routine had changed so much once my mother illness started stealing her energy from her.
I remember sitting next to the cot we had set up in the dining room for my mother because she was tired all the time. I would get up in the morning and get everything she needed set up close to her. My dad worked at night so when he came home go upstairs and pick up my mother and bring her downstairs for the day. He would stay downstairs with her. She slept on the cot and he slept on the sofa. It was not uncommon for me to come home at lunch and see my dad sleeping on the floor next to the cot holding my moms hand as they both slept.
When I ended my work day I would come home to find my mom and dad sitting at the dining table and talking. I would cook dinner for everyone and we would sit as a family and eat dinner. My mother would just pick at her food but she usually finishes ½ of what small portion she was given. After my sisters and I would argue about who turn it was to clean up the kitchen. My dad would carry my mom upstairs for the night and I would go into her room and just talk until it was time for dad to go to work.
That was daily living until one day I woke up and went downstairs to get everything ready for my mom and to my surprise she was in the kitchen cooking breakfast. She smiled so wide and said “I feel pretty good today. “ My dad was so happy to see her at the breakfast table waiting for him. I called off from work and dad gave up sleeping that morning. She wanted to go to the strip to get some fresh veggies. So dad drove us into the strip district and she walked to two market stands found what she wanted. “ I don’t feel tired but don’t want to overdo it.” We made it back home, she juiced her veggies into some strange concoction but she loved the flavor of it. When my sister’s came home from school they were so excited so see mom up and about that they just could not stop talking. We laughed at the dinner table and I hope this was the beginning of our return to our daily living before the illness that stole my mother vitality invaded out lives.
The next morning I got up and really wanted to see my mother in the kitchen. Before going downstairs I looked into her bedroom and she was not there. I went down stairs and I saw her sitting on the cot with the oxygen hose in her hand. “Please turn this on for me. “ I turned it on and readjusted the oxygen. I held her hand and was on my knees in front of her. She smiled and said “Yesterday was great!”
My little sister B is not on oxygen. She has most of her strength and determination. She finds the strangest things funny. She makes phone calls at 2:00 in the morning which I always take because it could be and emergency but usually she says things like “There is hair in my panties!” This was her way of telling me she had started loosing her hair. Or she will call and say “I may get a new body out of this!” Today she called and said “I think we are Jewish!” Remember please it about 3:00 in the morning. “What!” is the only thing I could say because we both were laughing? Then she explained that the defective gene she has is typical in Jewish women. Then she ended the conversation.

She left out the fact because of this defect they were recommending a double mastectomy because of this defective gene the cancer probably will reoccur. What will daily living be like if someone told you something like that?

Breathing a little easier.

2011-02-09T12:01:00.000-08:00

Well the first Chemo treatment was uneventful. Which I was very happy about, because as much as I try not compare my sister treatment with what my mother dealt with it is next to impossible not to compare.

When my sister was first diagnose and she chose the hospital and doctors that would treat her she was given a binder in the binder were several tabbed pages which contain so much information and one page was a business card holder so every doctor she sees she has their card handy. They encouraged her to keep track of test results and all information she was given. This way she has a record of her treatment and they work as a team. For my mother I remember buying a 5 subject notebook and that was because she told me the information was overwhelming and there was no way she was going to remember it all. We wrote everything down and each time I was with her on a follow up appointment I had my notebook and the doctors were excited to see it and often would take it and read what I had written for the weeks before the appointment. It good to know I had a good idea with regards to her care.

My sisters chemo appointment included; information for a research study, return to waiting room, vitals check, return to waiting room, examination by the P.A., return to waiting room and finally time for the chemo.

When my mother had chemo privacy was not an issue it was just a big room with different station with the iv poles defining each station. With brie there was cubby rooms separated by walls with window in them so the nurse could see you regardless of whose cubby she was in.

The IV for my mother was in her arm with Brie it was in her hand the nurse explained that they start low that way if the vein blows then they can go up higher but if the start high and the vein blows then they have to go to a different site. The Saline solution was started and then she was given the medicine to prevent nausea. Mom never received that so I was not sure how effective it was going to be.
Adriamycin is one of the medicines given, I will never forget this medicine it is bright red and is given directly into the IV. The nurse has 2 larges syringes full of this medicine and she must slow shoot this into the IV. She is very careful because this medicine if comes into contact with the skin it will burn. This is when becomes very apparent my nervousness I remember soon as the nurse was finish the first syringe of this medicine my mother started vomiting. Once the nurse was finish with the second syringe I started looking for a container and there was none and my sister did not vomit she was very calm and I felt that I was making her nervous. So I went to the waiting room and got our sister and let her sit with her for the second medicine which was Cytoxan this was given in as an IV drip, this was to last 45 minutes and then she would be able to leave. Jo was there for 30 minutes and then she came out and my cousin Di went back with her. Di came in town to stay with Brie because she wanted to help and thought this would be best way to help. I really appreciate her coming in town she will stay at Brie apartment so someone will be with her 24 hrs for the first week after chemo.

The side effects for both medicines are very similar. Since the Adriamycin is red and pee is yellow her pee will be orange for a little bit. High dosages of this medicine can affect her heart which is the reason for a Muga scan days before. The Muga scan is a nuclear medicine test to evaluate the function of the heart ventricles. Her heart is good and strong and the dosage of this medicine is not high enough to cause a problem.

When we got back to Brie apartment we sat around waiting for something dramatic to happen but it never did. I was relieved and yet wondering if the medicine was really working. After a while we joined hands and said a prayer together and then stopped waiting for the shoe to drop.

Brie asked me to crochet her a blanket for her bed. So I am crocheting a blanket for her I will have pictures to show when I blog again.
I am breathing a little easier.

What's been going on.

2011-02-07T12:50:00.000-08:00

I remember December and it was a day that I was happy to be home. My husband had just accepted a job with the same company that I worked for and I felt a load lift off of me. I t was the Christmas break and he felt weird giving a 2 week notice during the 2 weeks the school buses would be off because of the school observance of the holidays.

I was just thinking that we will be starting the year off right. Both of us full time employment with benefits. We were talking about the changes it would mean for us and the goals were just about to be put in place so that we do not lose sight of what we really need to accomplish.

Pay bills on time, on time is key! Save money, not for a rainy day but incase someone loses a job we will be able to live without sweat! Get in a position to buy a house.

My phone rings and it is my sister Brie, she was crying, she was just diagnose with breast Cancer. She was at home alone. I left home and went to her apartment. I held her in my arms while she cried and I kept saying all the things that I heard. The medicine is so much better now than 20 years ago, you can beat this! I told her about Wanda is a survivor and Brenda P is a survivor she will be a survivor as well. I truly believe those words! And in my heart I know she will survive this.

Triple negative refers to breast cancer that is estrogen receptor negative, progesterone receptor negative, and HER2/neu negative. In other words, triple negative breast cancer does not express receptors for estrogen or progesterone and does not overexpress HER2.

Most likely women with metabolic syndrome (which involves distorted hormonal interactions) are more likely to have triple negative breast cancer upon diagnosis than women without it. Generally speaking, drugs or foods that reduce the production of estrogen or block its effects in the body are not effective treatments for this type of breast cancer. Therefore, in addition to surgery and radiation treatment, chemotherapy represents the best opportunity to eradicate breast cancer cells and prevent metastasis.

Triple negative breast cancer is more often responsive to chemotherapy than hormone receptor positive breast cancer. Therefore, it is important for those with triple negative breast cancer to have surgery complete the chemotherapy that will be prescribed. The initial treatment period provides the best opportunity for a long or permanent remission.

My sister’s treatment plan is chemo treatment, surgery, then radiation therapy. The chemo treatment starts on Feb 3, 2011, 4 treatments 21 days apart. There has been a long list of pre testing for a baseline before chemo something that they can use to compare all testing after chemo.

When she first told me of the cancer I was scared because I did not want her to have the same experience that my mother had then after a while I came to realize that I was remember the end of my mother life as if it was the way she lived during her whole fight with breast cancer. There was lots of time when mom was doing quite well. She went to work everyday, took time with us and lived as if she had no problems at all. And By all appearances that was the case. I will not recount my mother journey at this time because this is about my sister and my ability to be there for here.

I thought about how I would feel if I was her. She is not married and the last boyfriend she had now lives in Chile and they have little or no contact and the boyfriend she had before that is now engaged to a girl who is 10 years younger that she is. Each of these friendships ended nicely enough but she has only family and friends to turn to and help her deal with this current fight. So it is very important to me that she knows she is not alone. I realize that I cannot completely get rid of this feeling but I am going to do my best to try.

Taqueria Mexico City

2010-12-13T04:01:00.000-08:00

Well I did not get to go the Mexico City but I did get to meet with my friends at a restaurant called Taqueria Mexico City. The food was good and it was a small little restaurant. Everyone was there by the time I arrived. Betty, Linda, Wendy ( these are their online names). OK I was late.

When I arrived I could see this was really not my style of restaurant and just getting info off the internet and listening to people was not enough. I will do better research next time. I was asked several times how I decided on this restaurant. Linda stated that she will pick the next restaurant.

Betty looked wonderfully pretty and I see Linda on a regular and Wendy look beautiful as usual I was very happy to be with everyone.

The restaurant was small and had nothing great to write about. The pictures on the wall were of sport figures that I did not know. The complimentary chips were small portion but ok to the salsa was a bit spicy I loved it. The waitress came and took our order and went on her way. The service was a bit slow but being with my friends made up for that.

Our conversations were all over the place and often before one would end another would start! It was funny watching Linda and Wendy with their cell phone trying to put in each other phone numbers. Linda always relied on Betty to program her cell phone and so of course Linda had a new phone and needed Betty’s help with it.

As the food was ready the waitress served it. First Linda and then Wendy, then it took a while for Betty and my food to arrive. Linda called it to the attention of the waitress but eventually we all had our food. I enjoy my Giant burrito it had pulled pork in it but there was more rice than meat, and the sauce was spicy! I liked it. Linda has taco and Wendy and Betty had Steak Fatjia’s

We were to meet at 12:30 and we left the restaurant at 2:30 and it is our plan together in 6 months.

Our time together was short but it was so much fun.

ALMOST TO THE POINT OF TEARS!

2010-11-12T04:14:00.000-08:00

Every time is sew for someone I discover steps that I need to take to insure success. I feel that I was unsuccessful this time dispite the Bride saying she love everything that I did for her.

My finish product did not look the away I envisioned it. But that happens a lot because what I envision does not always work with the fabric type that I am working with or I just keep changing my mind. That will be one of the first things that will have to change. My need to change my idea when I do this I lose the original idea!

this is the almost finished product. She wanted to wear this under her dress so she could have sleeves. She was being sensitive about how her arms looked after losing so much weight.

This is what it looked like on salliemae but of course sallie is not her size so this is somehthing that would have to change on the next client. I have to make a body double of the person. eHow has information on this. If this is not possible then the client must stick to a strict scheduled of fittings! They must be available to ensure completion on time.

I created the pattern myself!

I wanted to make sure the seams would not show under the dress so you would just see sheer sleeves! The halter type top made this a challenge. The other challenge was to get rid of too much bunching under the arms once it was on.

I had a picture of this but my camera decided that it wanted to keep that one and not download it on the computer! grumble grumble...

Wait a minute let me try again.

As you can see not a lot of bunching but she wanted it completely smooth. I would have need some type of stretch knit sheer fabric like in ice skating costumes but they did not have that fabric here and there was no way to get it here in time for me to complete what she wanted before the wedding.

On the last night of the fitting she decided that it still bunched up too much and i could not get her to understand that organza does not have any stretch to it so there will be some folds in the fabric as she wears it. She wanted it to fit very tightly but that could not happen with this fabric. I apologized to her. She said that she have every confidence in me and that everything would be just fine.

So I redid it.

created a new pattern and came up with a different garment. and presented her with both and left it up to her.

I was at the wedding and held the door for her as she got out of the limo.

this is not the best picture but you can see she did not wear it.

I talked to several of her friends and found out that a friend of hers from out of town told her she did not need sleeves and hid them both from her.

All I could do is shake my head.

Oh I have a headache! no I am not done.

2010-11-02T04:00:00.001-07:00

Oh wow I have a headache the final fitting was last night, did it fit? Yes it did but, there is always a but. But it does not look right once she has on her dress.

Here is the deal most wedding dress have no sleeves and this one is not exception to that. It is a beautiful dress.

As you can see but she wants sleeves. At the bridal store they told her that she could wear a bolaro style jacket.

But did not want all the lace all over it she just wanted it to be sheer and she wanted to wear it under the dress so that it would look like it was part of the dress.

This should have been easy to do, and now that I think about it I should have taken the jacket right out of my mind but did not. So since October 20 I have been working on a jacket that she could wear under the dress and of course it work perfectly when she did not have the dress on. Once she had the dress on it bunched up and puckered all over the place and did not look flattering in the least.

Last night the night for brain storming because no matter what I it would not work.

I am typing this at work because my computer has no internet at this time. I brought my camera but left the USB cord so I cannot download pictures. In time I will.

So I gave her back her dress and I am making a trip to the fabric store again to buy new fabric just so I can make the lingere type thing that in the style of a shirt she can wear under the dress. The sleeves will the the only thing visible and it will be long enought for her to tuck it into her slip, spanx so that it stays down and snug but still enable her to move without fear of ripping the sheer fabric.

When did this idea come to me. When I was ranting last night about how this is not worth it and how I should have never taken this stupid job and I have to come up with something because her wedding is friday morning at 8:00.

the Hubby says" why not just make a nightgown, yea a sheer nightgown it would be v cut deep in the front so it would not show through dress and you can still make the sleeves fit her and she will be happy. After the wedding all she has to do it take of her dress and hey it on for the two of them. "

I looked at him and he mistook my look for anger and quickly apologized for acting so silly but it was exactly what I needed to hear.

With the jacket it was always coming open and did not have the length to tuck it in. Everytime she moved it pull out and did not stay in place and that is what the problem is more than anything else any way.

So tonight I will be up all night creating this and putting the finishing touches on it and then I can get it to her Wednesday and be done for sure! Which will be ideal! Keep your fingers crossed!

EXCITERVOUS!

2010-10-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

No you will not find that work in the dictionary but it is my my dictionary.

Tonight I have a new client coming to my house for me to make some alterations to her
wedding dress. The wedding is November 5!

I an excited but also a little nervous. I am alway excitervous when I get these jobs.

Excited because I get these job only by word of mouth. So that means something right?

Nervous because maybe the person who referred them think I am better than what I really am.

This is normal everyone feel this way.

Stage fright is an example of excitervous!

Panic Attacks could be another example of excitervous!

This bride recently underwend Gastric surgery and so she has been losing weight like crazy. She felt she started to stablize so she bought her gown size 20 2 week ago she tried on the dress and it was HUGE fortuntely the manager of David Bridal saw this and reorder the dress in a smaller size.

I am praying she stopped losing weight or I just may have a panic attack! Well tonight will be the tell!

I hope to have good new to report tomorrow.

My computer is still not up at home and it time we stop playing game with hubby and get this stuff done.

Do something creative every day!

All moved in.

2010-10-07T04:02:00.000-07:00

Finally everything we owned at the place in Forest hills has been successfully move to its new location in North Versailles.

Of course now begins the unpacking of everything and setting up a livable space. We lost a lot of livable storage space. I mean like large closets that stored everything you needed and did not need for small closet that can be used for everything you need and the things you do not need as often can be stored in the attic or basement.

As soon as I can find my camera I will be posting pictures.

My Car has been put in the shop and will be ready in a week! We agreed that if the cost was more than $500.00 then we would junk the car and take whatever money we could get toward a new one. The Auto shop called and it will cost 598.14! So the car is being repaired. The hoses need to be redone and then everything is good all over again.

Hubby did something I never thought he would do and that was sell his car for junk. He got $200.00 for his car and he said it does not pay to let a car sit for that long. Get it fixed or junk it. Therefore this is the reason my car is getting fix and we will just suck up the 98.14 it will be well worth it because then I will be able to get where I need to go without waiting for a ride from him. And I would not have to be at work at 7:00 in the morning when I start at 8:00!

Well I plan have the renters insurance in place by Friday so I can get the wedding dress in to my house and start working on it. I will keep you posted on how that is going.

Try to have a good day.

October 1, 2010

2010-09-24T13:20:00.000-07:00

I will return to blogging once I have moved into my new little house.

I hope we fall in love with each other because I am not moving again unless we are buying!

Challenges!

2010-09-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

If I have not said let me explain that we are in the process of moving from our current space of a 3 bedroom , 2 car garage duplex to an 2 bedroom 1 car garage house.

The house smaller than the space we have now but it is also 200 dollars cheaper. So we have plan to move on the first and I am still in the process of getting boxes to pack everything up.

My husband is clueless to what needs to be done in order TO MOVE FROM PLACE TO ANOTHER.

HE WILL ALWAYS BE A CHALLENGE!

Wonderfully expressed.

2010-09-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

Read this blog's posting for today. I just stumbled upon it and decided this was perfect posting for me today.

Nonproductivity

2010-09-13T07:26:00.000-07:00

This was to be the weekend that was to get at least 10 purses completed. My total so far is 1!

I have made patterns and made sure I had enough fabric and interfacing but I need some purse findings: closures, D rings, purse hooks, chain handles, spring loaded openings.

I do not want to make velcro the closure and I do not want everything to look like tote bag!

In the Fall fashion magazines I have seen some fur purses and the type of fur I just happen to have so I will make some of these as well.

After a weekend of nonproductivity I need to get it together and start getting some work done.

World Fest 2010

2010-09-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

Friday I left work around 1:00, went home to finish packing up the things we would need for the weekend and we were on the road. My hubby decided he would come with me, of course this was because I explained with him or without him I was going and I told he that while I was on hold with the greyhound bus terminal getting a price on a round trip ticket.

We arrived at the hotel around 12:30 midnight I am so glad that I called and told them of a late arrival. The Marriott Louisville Downtown 3.5 stars! I Love price line 60.00 a night sweet deal! The room was paid for in advance so check in a breeze and checkout was the same.

The World fest was within walking distance 2 maybe 3 blocks away. The park is call the Belvedere but if you call it by the name none of the people who live in Louisville know what you are talking about but if you ask for the location of the World fest “It’s the park at the end of Fifth Street once you cross main you are there!” Once you get there you see signs that call it Belvedere.

There were 3 stages for performances, the Main Stage, Fountain stage and Fiesta Latina Stage.

We arrived around 11:00 and as we roam about you could see the festival had not started yet. The vendors were still setting up their tents and tables and some had not arrived at all yet. But we got a feel for the layout of everything so even if we got separated I felt confident I would be able to find him.

We made our way back to the entrance and found a spot on Main Street and waited for the parade. This was the kickoff that opened the festival. Soon I could hear the Louisville Pipe band leading the parade down Main Street. I thought of Robert Preston as Dr Hill with his marching band. I love marching bands.
Most of those walking in the parade held signs of their nation, in traditional dress and dancing traditional dances it was beautiful to see. Bangladesh, Philippines, Vietnam, Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Croatia, Bosnia, Ireland, Russia, Scotland, Spain and host of other with the United Nations Flag bringing up the rear of the parade.

After which we all went to the park to enjoy the Festival.

We watched the Vietnamese Lion Dancers at the main Stage, Camino Flamenco Dancers also at the main stage, Imani Dance Company at the Fountain Stage, Zumba at the Fiesta Latina Stage, Arco Iris Aztec/Mexico Dance at the Fiesta Latina Stage, Kyenne Drummers at the Fountain Stage and Salsa Rhythm Band at the Main Stage.

Each time we left one performance we checked out the food booths along the way. The food smells were wonderful some I recognized and other new but very tempting! The different booths of cuisine, Jamaican, Irish, Colombian, Italian, Cuban, Spanish, Ethiopia, Greek and so many others.

I was tired and I realized it was 5:00p.m. So back to the hotel we went to rest because I knew there was a big salsa party the closed the Fiesta Latina Stage tonight at 9:30 and I wanted to be there.

It was a party. On the Main Stage there was a band playing music that had an african singer, and india singer and american singer. The music was described as Funksic! they each took turn singing in there native language and it worked. We made out way to the Fiestia Latina Stage and it looked like everyong was dancing the salsa! It was so much fun!

This is our stand pose because hubby does not like to take pictures and I cannot find the time delay on my camera.
Now its time to get back to work creating accessories to fill my online store that I have yet to open.

Out of town

2010-09-04T17:06:00.000-07:00

I am out of town until Wednesday I will post a blog at that time.

Thanks!
Lavon

Wasting time Sleeping

2010-09-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

How many hours are there in a day? I think I am wasting too many sleeping. I cannot get a free moment.

I have been running back and forth to the seniors building that my Aunt live in because I have several customers there.

Making adjustment for skirt that are too long, too loose, occasionally too tight. The problem is when the are awake I am at work and when I am finish with work they are getting ready for bed. So pickup and delivery are usually on Saturday.

Right now the intercom system that lets you into the building is not working properly. I attempted to contact my customer in the usual fashion by dialing her apartment number on the touch pad and it did not even ring. The display just said try again. Which I did and the display said “ Try Again”. So I called my customer on my cell phone to tell her that I was at the front door but the intercom system is not working. She however is hard of hearing and heard that I was at the front door and began pushing the button on her phone that will open the door. This did not work because I was on my CELL PHONE! After several attempts to get her to understand that the door was not opening someone who was in the building and walking through the lobby opened the door for me. And just as the elevator was opening I saw her standing their barefoot and in her robe. She took the clothes and said she will try them on at different call and call me if anything is wrong and starting fussing and cussing about the door!

My cousin and I recently got a contract with a couple who is getting married to supply their wedding flowers! They want bouquets, corsages, buttoners, and centerpieces. Neither of them like flowers but they like the demonstration we did when we presented them with flowers so they put a deposit on the order. However they still did not give a final number of flowers needed but they are aware that more flowers higher the cost. I emailed them an deadline of Friday!

Now I have found out about Pittsburgh Fashion Week Sept 27 ~ Oct 3. So I am back to restless night because I have to get some purses completed for our vendor table on October 1, 2010 however no one has truly committed themselves to paying 150.00 for the vendor table and are more interested in getting tickets to see the fashion shows! This present challenges for me because suddenly I am to be the contact person because I found the people on facebook who are the minds behind the event! Just because they accepted my friendship request does not mean I have an in to all the events!

I really want to go home and get some work completed and my hubby has decided that we need to return to the business meeting for Primerica. The only way I can salvage the night in terms of getting some work done is by going to the Joann’s in North Hills to get some closures for the purses.

I put in 8 hours at work and if you count commuting back and forth more like 9 to 10 hours. I would love to work for 5 hours on sewing and creating the purses but there are the alterations that need to be done (after this week I will not be taking in new work until after the fashion show ) then there are wedding flowers that need to be done by October 20th because the Wedding is November 5, 2010. I like to have them completed and just waiting because then there is no messing up.

I guess I just have to give up what little sleep I do get because I cannot get more than 24 hours in a day.

Oh Yes I have a fall/winter list for me to make for me! Yep I will be giving up sleeping!

Thursday 8/19

2010-08-19T15:25:00.000-07:00

Since my computer is down I have to compose and post my blogs at work. Life in this scheduling room has been hectic.

What makes it hectic is when your personal life starts to interfere with the productive nature of the office. What makes it worst is when management does not take action to correct the matter if it can be corrected. Well as time goes on it continues to make life more and more a challenge here in this little office.

I had decided to focus on what I can do put in my 8 hours and attempt to let the rest not interfere with my day. Someday I am successful other days not so much.

Tomorrow I will have a proper post because I will be writing in my journal and then all I have to do is type what I write.

As far as my search for the perfect little space. I think I may have found a winner. Tell you about it tomorrow.

3 skirts, 1 pair of pants, 2 suit jackets

2010-08-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

I went to deliver pants that I had hemmed for my Auntie. She had a customer all lined up for me.

Her neighbor had been sick for quite a while and lost a great deal of weight. Now that she was feeling better and was able to get out she needed some of the more expensive clothing altered to fit her.

Some things were just to large and rather recreate the items I told her to give them to someone she knew or hang on to them if she felt she would regain the weight.

She had a closet full of clothes but we decieded to take it in stages. So this time a round I am refitting 3 straight skirts one of which is lined and 1 pair a pants and 2 suit jackets!

This is wonderful I love it. My sister knows someone is get giving up some clothes that are too large for her and she (my sister) wants me to restyle a couple of them for her to wear.

So I am busy these Wednesday's

My computer should be up and running Next week so I will be back to posting pictures.

Keep sewing!

Changes!

2010-07-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

I have change the title of my blog because I am restarting my home business of alterations and sewing clothes for customers because sisters do not pay anything but dinner occasionally.

This blog will enable me to post what I changes I am making to garments. Ideas for clothing and jewelry that I can first draw and then attempt to make.
I open a flicker just to show pictures of the changes made to garments you know before and after shots.

Other changes are going to be with me, myself, I. I have grown weary of people telling me what I can, should, need to, must, have to do! I am very much aware of what I can, should, need to, must, have to do and I will handle it in my way. I love my friends and family and I care for them deeply but I cannot handle anyone trying to tell me what to do and using some method physcology to get me to see what I am doing wrong.

It seems that the majority of people around me want things their way without consideration for me and when I bring that to their attention they try to flip things so that I feel bad for them treating me bad and brng it to their attention.

I had to read that twice to make sure I said it right but that is it.

Ever had someone explain the reason for their action and then want you to agree with it and if you do not something is wrong with you. Well that changes I will not make time for that nonsense.

Thanks for listening!

I have a dress that must be finished before moving on the making the pants. So this weekend is finishing of UFO's and August will be the month of putting into action all the necessary changes.

Text tour of possible new apartment.

2010-07-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Good day. I have resolved in my heart that my computer at home will not be back online until we move into our new place. As it is we have not yet been confirmed for this apartment that we just saw over the weekend but it meets our current plan of simplification. I really should say my simplification plan.

Since my hubby is only working during the school year I decided that everything needs to be based on what my paycheck can handle otherwise we will never be able to make forward progress in any area. Therefore a change from the 3 bedroom apartment we currently live in (rent over 700.00 a month) to an apartment 1 or 2 bedroom (max rent 550.00 a month)

This is a text tour of our possible new apartment.

This place we saw over the weekend is a one bedroom 2nd floor apartment. Once you get to the top of the 14 steps and enter apartment on the left is the entrance to the main room. It is the full length of the apartment and it should be used for the dining room/living room combination. I have decided it will just be call the main room.
My sewing will attempt to be contained in the closet which looks ideal for a mini sewing space but I have a lot of stuff to store.

I am keeping all my sewing machine even if they are used in decorating the space it defines me.

This main room will also have the desk for the computer/office. This does mean that my computer will be a laptop. A desktop will take up too much space which is something that I am complaining about right now.

This main room will also have the TV and WII game in it. We will get a futon type sofa may be two and a chair. Since the futon can be used for sleeping this will accommodates any overnight guest we may have.

Returning to the entrance of the apartment on the right is the kitchen. Small but workable.

I do not like that the refrigerator is right next to the stove! Seems like they will be working against each other the stove is hot and the refrigerator will have to work harder to keep things cold. Hopefully they are properly insulated for this not to be a major problem.

Return to the entrance of the apartment and continue down the hall there is a closet on the left in the middle of the hallway it’s perfect size. Next to the closet is the Bathroom. The space is small but I do not feel like a bull in a china closet in this space. There is a linen closet in the bathroom behind the door.

Return to the hallway and at the end of the hall way is the bedroom.

This is a beautifully large room. You can get a king size bed and all the furniture that goes with it in this room. The closet is about the same size of the closet we have now but not as deep. Once you leave the bedroom you can enter the main room on the left walk through it and exit the main room and return to the hallway at the entrance to the apartment.

That is my tour of the place we are considering.

This change is a major sacrifice in space and the way hubby would like to live. Don’t get me wrong I love the place we are in but the new apartment despite being small is 300.00 less each month. I would prefer an apartment within a complex but all the ones close to where is father lives are full with no predictable vacancies for this year so this is what we found while driving through the neighborhood. It is a secured building and there are only 2 apartments in the building the mailboxes indicate 3 apartments but the 3rd apartment was where the garage is now. So each apartment has parking in the building.

The place we are in now is an apartment (duplex) that feels like a house. I like apartment living my hubby wants a house. We both were happy here. Now we are moving to an apartment and hubby has gone back to talking about buying a house. This I will have to listen to every day until HE qualifies to buy one.

Tomorrow is the beginning of clearing out the back bedroom all important papers will be scanned into the computer and a backup file copied on to cd and everything over 5 years will be shredded with the exception of tax papers. I will keep them for 10 years. That is my project for this week! When I do take a brake from that I will be sewing pants! I need pants for work so my goal 5 pairs of pants within 10 days!

So no matter how busy you are keep creatively living.

Searching a for a comfortable space.

2010-07-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

I have been very hot and we do not have air conditioning. A fan in the window blow hot air so I suggested that we go to the library which is the same idea a lot of others had who have the same problem.

Traffic was absolutely horrible. Not because everyone was headed to the library but because of the Grand Prix. I did not know it was taking place this weekend so the trip to the library was fraught with danger. Hubby does not do well in stopped traffic which has not apparent reason from his persective. I was so happy when we arrive at the library but then parking was the problem.

Once inside I return a book that I had for about 2 years and since they were happy to get the book back the fine was only 10.00 and I was able to get a new card.

It has been quite comfortable here but they will be closing in a hour and i will be trying to find out what place to go and hang out in until the coolness of the evening begins. But if tonight is anything like last night It did not really get cool until about 4 in the morning.

Hand sewing in the library may get you some strange looks but for the most part everyone know what the real deal is. Searching for a comfortable space during his current heat wave.

Keep sewing.

Home again!

2010-07-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

We were schedule to leave on thursday but Pap was very ill and Hubby was going no where until he was sure that Pap was ok. Which I do understand but I was still just bit put out. This is where siblings would be of great help. But why dwell on something that is not going to happen.

We never did find out why he was vomiting but he was not able to keep anything down for 2 days. He was dehydrated! The ladies at dialysis try to assure us that he was not dehydrated but he was vomiting and unable to keep anything down even water and it was very hot and humid. The pcp finally call in a RX on thursday with instructions that if that did not help he was to go the ER. The compazine which did stop the vomiting on thursday night but friday morning he was very weak and following the doctor's instruction he was taken to ER.

They explain that he was having some problems due to his congestive heart failure. Cracklin sound when asked to take deep breathes but then he had fluid in his lungs. Friday was a dialysis day for him so one they got all his vitals and did a chest xray they took him for his dialysis. So we had to was for 31/2 hours so back home we went.

I finished what packing needed to be done and Hubby got a haircut. Shortperson took the day off and we clean the house just in case he was release the same day. Since his heart was the problem he stayed in the hospital. He looked 100% better and sounded stronger. He told us to go on our trip he would be fine and he would see us when we go back. Then he smiled.

We made sure Short person had enough food and off we went. I will be glad when the computer at home is back up and running then I can share pictures.

I will be back in the sewing studio tomorrow working on some repairs and earning a couple of dollars!

A little confused

2010-07-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

The red dress is finished! Yea! I think I did a beautiful job on making the neck opening square and the arm holes were stitched and then covered with lace which will be turn inside and hand stitched so that all you see is a clean finished edge. The hem is a narrow zigzag stitch which does not weight the dress down at all. So it should float as I walk by.

It does need a belt! So I will be searching for that and hopefully find one within the next couple of days. I have some red t strap sandals with a ½ inch heel so I should be comfortable all around in this dress.

The dress that I am working on now is the same pattern as the tan flower print dress that I made a while back. The fabric is cotton white and black. The print is black and looks like chain links or something that reminds me of chain links of a necklace. I want to do something creative. Sissy tells me to make the neckline v instead of scoop but I am not sure about that.

I have the zipper in the back and cannot decide if I am going to put some graphic shape appliqué on the front of it so it has been sitting since Monday night. Sissy has gone back home and Pap was released from the hospital last night. He is happy to be home but not happy about the heat.

This is what I was thinking about Sissy’s visit, some things just confused me.
Once she did find out that Pap was in the hospital she did not stay at his house with Short person (stepdaughter) she stayed at my house.
Of the 3 days that she was here she visited Pap only 1 of those days.
She stays in the house and watched DVD’s all day and then she went home.
Confusing.

My sister invited us to her house to eat dinner that she cooked on the grill Saturday and when we arrived she was not home. Hubby took it that she did not want his family to come to her house and that the invite was just for me. This is not the case because I asked my sister, before I even mention to my hubby, if the invite included sissy and short person and she told me it did. So when we were close to the house I called her to let her know that I was bringing some meat to put on the grill and to see if anything was already done because we were arriving hungry she told me they had already eaten and were at Frick Park and could meet us in about 30 minutes.

Sissy turn the car around stopped at KFC and then went back to the house to continue watching DVD’s.

I asked my sister about it and she really never answer my question so I am not finish with this subject . This is confusing and distressing because it makes no sense at all.

Back to what does makes sense, my dress should be finished tonight! Keep Sewing!

Sewing and stopping.

2010-07-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

You know how you can be working on something thinking about something else. Well that was what I was doing. I was working on a dress that should take about 1 hour sewing time to complete. It took me 4 hours to finish because I kept sewing and stopping.

I have this sheer fabric that will need to be lined when I use it so I decided to use it on a very simple dress. The color is a red with flowers of different colors printed on it. The flowers are outline in white so the lining of the dress is white. The fabric is white rayon. It is a good thing that the dress is sleeveless because this will be a hot dress!

Hubby’s sister came in town on Saturday. She decided to stay with us. Hubby did not bother to tell Sissy that Pap was in the hospital because he figured if she really care she would call him every day not just when she needed money. Needless to say she was a bit ticked off to find out Pap was in the hospital. I think she would not have made the trip had she known. That’s what Hubby says any way.

Sissy does not look like she is 60 years old but she drive like an older person. Ever drive behind someone who see a car in the distance and even if the light is green will wait for the car to come up and pass them before they decide to turn so that the car behind now is caught by the red light. Yup! That’s Sissy. When she did that I just looked at her when she complained that the car behind her had the nerve to blow their horn.

Sewing, I proceeded to cut the fabric the sheer fabric was not as slippery as I thought it would have been it stayed put very nicely. So after I got all the pieces out and ready to sew I could over hear a Harley in my drive way. Stopping, I saw my husband go into our bedroom and close the door and I went to the front of the house and my Sister in law was sitting the steps talking to my Brother in law. I shouted out my hello and went back to sewing. Hubby did not come out of his room until I could hear the Harley driving away.

Ya, see Brother in law lives here in the city but he does not come around to see or help with his father and never come to see his brother.

As hubby passed the room I was he stopped to state the obvious “my brother was here”

“Yes, I saw him”

“Are you coming with me?”

“Where are you going? “

“To see MY father!” Stopping, So off we went. Sissy and stepdaughter as well.

We get to hospital and Father in law in pain having just come up from having the doctor try to remove his dialysis caterer and replace it with a different one only for that one to have a kink in it and this was done while he was awake and the area was to be numb but he assures us he felt every bit of the pain. He compares it to the pain he felt when they did the partial amputation of his toes.

Todd went to find the nurse and find out why he was not called when this was going on. He called several time to make sure his father was in his room and was told he was having dialysis which takes 21/2 to 3 hours so once he received information that he was finish with dialysis we made the trip to see him.

Why did the person he talked to not explain exactly what was going on?
why did not doctor not call him to tell him about this procedure he was going to do on his dad?
Series of other why questions that can only be answer with the non satisfactory answer of breakdown in communication.

Hubby is a big guy and he can be a bit intimidating if you do not know him so you can imagine how the little nurse felt answer this man who was trying to control his temper and at times failing to do so. I attempted to be the bumper between the two and soon every one was sitting and talking and reviewing his chart is a calm manner.

End result the proper notation were made on the chart so the hubby could be call for all procedure to take place including routine ones and the list of all the doctors handling Pap’s case was in his pocket.

We continued our visit with Pap and he was happy to see us all and started to fall asleep.

Finally we make it back home! Back to sewing my dress.

Shoulder seams, side seams of the lining completed and finished the hem. Shoulder seam and side seams of the dress completed. Right sides of the lining pinned to the right sides of the dress and the neck edge. I decided that I wanted an square neck line so I made the necessary changes and stitched it together.

I hear loud talking in the living room so stopping I go see what the problem could be.
“ Don’t eat all that fruit!”

“Sissy you have been picking on my all night! Leave me alone!”

“ I did not bring that for you I brought it for dad. You better leave some for him.”

I went back to the sewing. I put aside that dress I was working on and laid out the pattern of a different dress. Lots have been going through my mind I will blog about that tomorrow.

Keep Sewing.

Upgrades!

2010-07-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

Why …….did I think that I should upgrade my web browser to IE8 when IE7 was working just fine. After the install was done I could not access the internet with IE8 so I decided to uninstall it which should have been easy but IE8 or IE7 is part of the operating system……….. internet browers MIA!

I will be posting from location other than home.

Look for something from me tomorrow. Really!

Till Then keep Sewing.

2010-06-19T16:55:00.001-07:00

Today I have finished redoing the hems of two dresses from Old Navy for my sister’s coworker. I am starting on pants that my Auntie needs hems. Both of these items need 5 inches taken off. Short people, I love em!

My goal for this week is to complete 3 dresses so I can be finish with my 6 dresses in 6 weeks challenge which turn into “Just complete 6 dresses!”

These 3 dresses I have no idea about except that they will have matching tie for hubby. I am going to make them and hopefully he will wear them. I will not be surprised if he does not.

My allergies are making it difficult for me to type. And I have a headache so I will blog tomorrow for sure.

Till Then Keep Sewing.

A Little Designer.

2010-06-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

Check out this site.

I am always talking about my little designer this 10-year old designer has already hosted her first trunk show.
http:/http://cbs2.com/tv/Cecilia.Cassini.Tough.2.1307281.html
/www.thefrisky.com/post/246-meet-cecilia-cassini-10-year-old-fashion-designer/

I guess it time my little designer truly make up her mind.

She has yet to use the sewing machine.

2010-06-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

I made this dress some week ago but I never gave the story. I have nothing new to show so here is the story behind this dress. I searched for 2 hours in my fabric closet because I as determine that I would not have a room that looked like the police has just searched it and left it for me to clean up . At the very bottom of the closet was this fabric that I knew that I had but forgotten. I decided this would be perfect for a graduation party that was semi-formal. It has been hot all that week and I wanted the dress to be comfortable.

Butterick 3516 I love this pattern but this was my first time making it. I also changed my mind about making this dress because I knew the fitting this would be a challenge. I did not change my mind this time and fitting it was a challenge.

The bodice was interfaced with a fusiable medium weight interfacing. Which was much to heavy for the lightweight cotton fabric. But it worked perfectly for the bust area. I got it to fit just right. The stiffness turned out to be an asset!

When I cut out the skirt I made the adjustments to the seams allowances and but somehow it did not work. It was too tight around my upperwaist but it needed to be tight around my upperwaist. After the 4th time I decided that I would wear and Bodyshaper and once I tried on the dress with that as the foundation it look fine.

The gold embroidery I loved. Not a lot to sequins I loved. Matching the pattern of the design I did not love so much. I am not really sure that I did a good job of doing that but that was the least of my worries. Once I got all the adjustments done and the dress looked the I wanted it to look when I had it on I was ready.

The flipflops were worn after dancing for a while. The shoes I worn as I made my entrance were these gold sandles.

Now I have to make the Hubby something to wear next time we go out dancing!

2:22 and I am awake.

2010-06-05T23:21:00.000-07:00

I hate that its 1:18 in the morning and it may as well be 1:18 in the afternoon the way I am feeling. I am not the least bit sleepy and at the same time everything that I would do that I feel would help me to relax and sleep would wake others in the house.

Right now I could be sewing and would be sewing if I had started at 7:00 like I wanted to early in the evening but I had to clean the vacuum cleaner.

What had happen was I started to clean up the living room. I took the dirty dishes off the dinning table and went into the kitchen and started washing the dishes. Once the rack was full of dishes and there were still more to wash I remembered that I was going to vacuum the floor in the living room. I went to the back bedroom to get the vacuum cleaner where I started folding up the clothes that were washed and never put away. Once I had the clothes folded and put into neat piles to put away I went into the living room the clean it up. I picked up the floor pillows and remembered that I needed to get the vacuum from the back bedroom. As I was leaving the living room I saw a drinking glass on the floor by the recliner and I picked it up and took it into the kitchen. I put all the clean dishes away and finished washing the other dishes once that was done. I notice the towels on the floor in the laundry room so I picked them up and put them in the wash.
Then I went to the back bed room to get the vacuum cleaner and vacuum the floor in the living room. I brought the vacuum cleaner to the hallway outside the living room and proceeded to empty the cup filled with dirt. Remove the filters and clean then with warm water and since that part was so dirty I proceeded to remove all the filters and clean them all then they had to air dry before I could use them so ……The vacuum cleaner is all in pieces air drying and I found Mamma Mia on TV so I watched that. Then there was an old Jackie Chan movie on Twin Dragons I found that in the middle and just as it was about to end I decided to get up and attempt to go to sleep.

I never made it to the bedroom because I realized that I did not update my blog. Which I often forget to do because I get sidetracked by something else.

Any how it 1:35 in the morning and I am wide awake and no motivation to do anything but I cannot seem to wind down enough to go to sleep.

My computer has been trying to die on my for a while it 2:22 and I just got it to post this blog!

Broke Vacation

2010-06-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

How many times do you go on vacation broke? Before I was married most of my vacation that I took were broke vacations! As long as my hotel room was paid and my transportation to and from was paid I went on my trip and worked the rest out as needed. Since I was single I could get someone to buy be Dinner and if that did not work I always had at least 20 dollars and packed food along with me.

Since I have been married we often plan trips and then something happens financially and we do not go. I then spend the days off that should have been spent relaxing, reworking a budget and trying to figure out what we need to do to salvage the weekend. I also try to find ways to ignore my husband and enjoy the forced porch view vacation.

We had an opportunity to go to Nemacolin, which is a 5 star resort. Of course the same thing was about to happen again. But my response this time was not the same.

I got a phone call on Friday that could have ended our little trip. “I just check the checking account and we are short 200.00” My response; " That problem will be there when we get back." He was quiet and then responded , “ we cannot go away with no money” " Yes we can." Then I ended the conversation. When I got home from work I explained the room at the lodge was already paid for. I had enough money for car to be filled with gas so we are going. No matter what else he had to say I just got our stuff packed for our trip.

So Monday around 3:00 in the afternoon we were on our way. Please understand that we should have been there before 3:00 according to my plan but because he was attempting to cancel the trip I did not care what time we left.

From the time we pull through the driveway on the grounds I began to relax. All the employees we encountered were so nice and helpful in every way. The New part of the hotel was made to look like the Ritz in Paris! We stayed in the Lodge which was the original building and it was beautifully rustic and that suited me perfectly. The main lobby of the Lodge reminded me of a Barbara Cartland novel.

I enjoy the little vacation a great deal and we did nothing fabulous except explore the grounds, looked at everything that the resort had to offer. We had enough money to eat breakfast and Dinner while there. I enjoyed hanging out with some people that we met there, hey it was just great. Going on vacation broke is so much better than sitting at home broke.

A New Dress!

2010-05-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

Recently our family has been dealing with the sudden death of my husband cousin. He did not go to the hospital for regular check ups. He did not like going to the doctor office for any reason. He did when he went into a diabetic coma and his body just shut down. So no one is sure how long he blood sugar was over 500 but finally it was just to much for his body and he died.

My husband who has been diagnose as a diabetic promised that he is going to do everything he is suppose to do to keep everything under control. But I know after a couple weeks that would pass and he would continue down the same path as usual. He was not able to get a whole life insurance policy because his blood sugar was high and unstable.

Today was the day he stop caring and went back to his bad habits. This more his meter read 230. That was first thing in the morning, not having breakfast. He takes his meds with Orange Juice and 3 hours later is suprise when the meter read 200. He took a nap and said he felt much better when he got up 2 hours later and he had baked chicken and rice. I told him to have veggies instead of rice and he refused. 3 hour later check his sugar level and it was 221.

We went to a graduation party and he ate what every he wanted and as much as he wanted and then proceeded to get angry when I reminded him that he was to be taking care of what he ate and drink. He ignored me and decided to continue doing whatever he wanted.

Here is a picture of me and my hubby. It may be the last on I get of me and him!

I made the dress in 2 days to wear for this event because Todd and I were to salsa dance together at the party but he did not do that either.

Getting back to sewing.

2010-05-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

On March 21 I started my journey to lose 12 lbs in 6 weeks. Well If I remember correctly it was more like 18 lbs but Betty as well as other said that I should rethink that and so it became the goal of 12 lbs in 6 weeks.

On April 22 I had lost 9 of those 12lbs and felt sure that I would make my goal with no problem. I was so sure I stopped keeping track of what I was doing. And that was my down fall. Here it is 9 weeks from the original start day and I have gain 4 lbs ut oh!

Now here is where I should say okay I am starting over but I am not starting over and I am struggling on. Its week 9 and I have fallen off course but I am dusting myself off and getting it back together.

I was successful earlier because everything as planned out and thought activity and meals out carefully and then I stopped doing that. So I am getting back to doing what works for me which is planning.

Needless to say I am still working on week 3 dress. Well it waiting to be worked on. I have been very busy helping other people with their project so much so that everything I planned for myself got pushed to the wayside.

A coworker was finally able to get custody of two little boys in her family that were about the enter the foster family system. She was already in the process of becoming a foster parent just to help this boy and got the final approval as they were being taken from their mother. She made the trip out of state to get the boy and brought them home with the courts approval of course. I guess this worked because she is a family member and the boys already knew her. Well the youngest of the two keeps ripping up his pants so I have repair 4 pairs of pants one of which is still on my sewing machine because the needle broke.

I have another needle that is not the problem the problem is I have lost touch with her. The oldest boy got kicked out of school with only 1 month of school left before summer break so she had to take off to be with him. I am not 100% sure if she will be returning to work. So I am going to ask her boss to give her my phone number. She does not live far from me so I can get the clothes to her and keep a customer.

Today I will be sewing. I have to get everything thing back on track.

6 weeks 6 dresses

2010-04-11T15:48:00.000-07:00

Week one Dress one

I have used the pattern several times. I love it because it is easy and the dress is comfortable. I think the next time I make it I will have to make some adjustments to the size, SMALLER! Yahoo for that.

Week 2 Dress 2

Once again super easy and very comfortable. Also It was and UFO that is now and WIP. I need to put the hem in. This was very easy to complete because I was well into week 3 and still had no week 2 dress. But I should hem it tonight. I top stitch the neck edge and arm holes with the blue that I used to make a long scarf. Hopefully it will give some design to the dress.

Week3 dress 3

This dress is a challenge because I need to increase the size of this one. The last time I made this dress was the year we had a house fire which was before I got married. I have been married for 6 or 7 years so I increased in size the pattern size did not.

So I know this will take me a little more time than usual.

The print is the lining and the contrasting collar and the blue is the dress.
Sewing on this one should begin tomorrow after work. It took me all of Thursday evening and part of Friday evening to make calculation for the size adjustment and then determine where to make the adjustment on the pattern.

By then end of week 4 I should have this dress almost done. Keeping my eyes on the goal ahead.

I will have something to sing about.

2010-03-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

Today I should be singing New attitude by Patty Labella, You know something like " I wearing a new dress, new hair brand new idea as a matter of fact I have changed for good." Then the song says something about feeling good from my head to my shoes I got a new attitude.

But NONE of this is true for me right now. I have been dealing with a migraine. I decide that I can still sew while have a migraine but no so much. The Dress is a simple shift style dress and I decided the seam will be french seams but with a migraine I did them wrong.

With a french seams you sew wrong sides together trim closely to the seam and them sew the seam again with right sides together. You have a finish seam on the inside no fraying raw edges and i like this type of seam better on the simple dresses. But I did it wrong and would catch the error before doing any triming and sit and remove the stitching. I did that twice before giving Up and going to bed. So tomorrow I will get up and finish my dress and start a new on I will complete my 6 dresses in 6 weeks and I will be sing about new attitude and shoes and dresses and hair and what every else Patty was singing about.

Oh well,...

2010-03-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

I had plan to make a beautiful knit jumper but I did not have enough fabric.

I had a weight loss goal that was to reward me with a new sewing book but I did not achieve my goal.

oh well.... Lets start again.

I did not achieve my weight loss goal but I did stick to my work out program so I should be rewarded for that. So I went to Half price books and picked up a book on Sashiko stitching.

Sashiko is a form of decorative reinforcement stitching (or functional embroidery) from Japan. Traditionally used to reinforce points of wear, or to repair worn places or tears with patches, this running stitch technique is often used for purely decorative purposes in quilting and embroidery. The white cotton thread on the traditional indigo blue cloth gives sashiko its distinctive appearance, though decorative items sometimes use red thread.

That is the definition from Wikipedia.

The purl bee has a tutorial.

I have read the book already and I am ready to give it try.

In the meantime in 6 weeks we will see if I reach my weight lost goal at that time and get the book I really wanted. I am also Challenging myself to make 6 dresses in 6 weeks which should be easy since I usually can make a dress in a day. Today is Tuesday so I have until Saturday to get dress one made.

Oh I also order a pair of Tan shoes. I am excited so the dresses have to go with the shoes! Check them out.

2010-03-07T10:57:00.000-08:00

You know how when you are bored and you know you should be doing something.

I just could not get started on anything productive so I decided to get on the computer.

Then I remember what I was working on. As you can see I just took a square of muslin and hand sewed at lot of different fabrics on it. No design in mind just something to do while watching TV.

I actually did a little beading. I decided to practice some hand stitching on this little project.
It is really important that hand stitching is done correctly when you have to do it.

But in time.

This I gave up on this and decided to return to something that I had started so long ago but never finished.

I was following instructions on the blog Nuts about Needlepoint. I wanted to use my own design and when I read that is what she was giving instructions to do I follow all the steps and read her blog daily. I bought the canvas and the waterproof color markers and drew my design on the canvas and then I became distracted by something could not tell you what it was but whatever it was I never continued what I was doing so now I am going by memory.

I think this stitch is call the continental stitch. But so far so good. I think I will be taking it with me to work and do this during my lunch hour.

I today I am going to set up my sewing machine and get back to doing what I think I do well.

SEWING.

I have to open the closet holding all the fabric and patterns.

I had put everything away neatly as possible.

I decided this was a good thing because I could not use the excuse that everything was a mess and I had to clean it up before I could get started.

This will do.

This knit fabric will work because it is still cold outside but the color is bright because spring is just 2 weeks away and in time all the snow will be melted. Besides I like this color. Of course I still have to get the sewing machine out and up. So I guess there will be some delay in this process.

I am going to get started. Have a great day! Do something creative today.

3 reasons

2010-03-05T18:44:00.001-08:00

I took 3 days off from work for 2 reasons. Well really 3 reasons 1 to increase my spiritual activity, 2 get some doctors appointments done and 3 spend time with my hubby.

Reason 1.

Our circuit overseer and his wife were scheduled to visit us. This is an exciting time for me because I can hear reports of encouragement from all over the world. Brother Falbo and his wife use to live here but their assignment took them all over the globe and in the last 3 years they have return home to continue the work they were doing abroad here at home and to take care of ailing parents. Each time they visit I really enjoy it and will attempt to take some time off from work so we can get together for the whole day. Unfortunately his wife mother fell and had in the hospital and so they were not able to come to visit. However the assignment was given to a brother we will often stand in for them when unforeseen occurrences come up. He has given some wonderful discourses during this time and I truly appreciate then. I am however sad that I could not connect with the Falbo’s.

Reason 2.

It is the beginning of the year and I try to have all the annual doctors appointment done early so the rest of the time it about staying healthy. I was able to see my PCP and he referred me to a Neurologist for my migraines. I was able to see the neurologist on Wednesday and today I had the MRI of my head. I had to reset appointment for our eye exams because FIL needed a CT of his chest. He is having difficulty breathing and Hubby was running him to3 different doctors on Monday trying to find out how they plan to handle this problem.

Pap’s PCP had no knowledge of his hospital stay (despite his request the information was never sent) so once he(pcp) was brought up to speed on what has been happening. Hubby was sent to the renal doctor’s office to get a copy of all the medical records for the last month. Then he was sent to the GI doctors office to get a copy of the x-rays’. Which he as happy to do but it was very trying just the same. Why not jut get the reports faxed over ? Well hubby felt they did not do it before so he would just get it all taken care of right now. So as this first week of march ends I still have doctors appointments that both Hubby and I need. I want to get them done before March 15 this way the $200.00 that is left from last years FSA will be use instead of lost.

Reason 3.

Hubby changed his job so he is home every night. Or he should be home every night.
Because of the serious health problems his dad has been having, he has been spending some nights over there because he wants to ready to get him to the hospital if necessary.

My FIL is sleeping sitting up because of the fluid retention he is afraid that he will not wake up if he lays down. Of course this put Hubby on High Alert. So it is important that he is ready to help is dad at a moments notice.

Thursday was a beautiful day! The weather was sunny and the temp was just right. We were able to spend the whole day together. That morning he got up and drove the school bus when he came home quickly changed his clothes and we went out in our ministry. After 2 hours we made it home and a quick lunch and then checked on his father who was not doing as well as we would like. Found out that Hubby needed to pick up and RX for the CT scan tomorrow. I waited while he finish is afternoon school bus trip. Made a mad dash to the doctors office to find it closed. We went home and read some scriptures together and relaxed for the rest of the evening. We planned what we would do on Friday and Saturday.

Our plan for Friday was to go get our eye exams done and order new glasses and contact. Lunch at Robert Wholey and take a walk along the river. Then after dinner come home and cuddle on the sofa while watching some movie on TMC. What happened was, we took FIL for his CT scan and since it was not scheduled we had to wait until they had a break in the schedule to get it done. Rescheduled our eye exams for April.

We drove to the strip district to get fish sandwiches to go since the home care nurse was due to come and the place was over crowded with people who all had the same idea. This is where I because to lose my patient with the day because I kept getting phone call while standing in line trying to get some stupid fish sandwiches. I almost left but I had already invested 40 minutes in this adventure so I was committed to see it to the end. When I got back in the car my FIL said. “We saw 7 car accidents, 2 people walking naked down the street, a dog wearing a pant suit an old woman in high heels with shorts on and a pigeon sitting on a man’s head while he was crossing the street.” We all laughed. We made it to FIL house before the home care nurse so all was good. After Hubby finished the second half of his school bus run we decided to try to salvage our evening and went to dinner only to receive a phone call that his daughter had to go over her mothers house and spend the night so, Hubby is with is father and I am on the computer.
Our plans for Saturday are not worth mentioning because I doubt that it will happen.
I am not sad, not upset, just disappointed. I am sure this is not the first time nor will it be the last time.

I have no idea when I will be taking time off again but I am sure it will not go as planned then either.

Space Invaded!

2010-03-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

I cannot get it together. Why because of bad Feng Shui! My sewing room has my computer in it and from time to time I take somethings out of the room and add other things to it. I do that because once it is done everything is good and I feel ready to stay in my sewing room and I can get lots of stuff done. I had things almost the way I needed them to be and i was able to start some some projects that I had not finished. I was doing some hand sewing on at quilt square and working on my needelpoint. Then the worst thing that could happen happened things were moved around in my room. My dear sweet hubby took the printer from his office and hooked it up to my computer because my printer is not working and proceed to change the room to fit is needs. He was in my space for 3 dys and would have been there longer if I had not insisted that he get it out! He had control over my space and then took over my computer for those 3 days. Now that he has returned his printer to his space my space feels off. Things are not in the proper place. The room does not feel comfortable to me in anyway. Bad Feng Shui!

Trust me I have no tool for feng shui analysis and even if I did I would have no idea of what to do but I know when things do not feel right for me.

My computer is not working correctly. CPU usage @ 100% when it should show 2 or 3 % because nothing is running but the Task master, the computer is idle. You do not expect to hear the engine of your car revving like it is going 80 mph when it is sitting still. Something is wrong. It could be a VIRUS! When I explain this to him he makes me feel like Chicken Little. The computer is broke, the computer is broke.

I have been reading my blogs on a somewhat regular basis so I know when it is taking too long for the page to load. According to him that is also my imagination. I cannot stand it.

My space feels invaded and now I need to change the room around completely in order to feel right in my own space. The creativity that was starting to flow has now been replaced with feeling of extreme anxiousness and I know the only thing that is going to fix this feeling is to change my room completely. Make the room feel likes it is mine again. I don’t want to do that so I need some ideas on how to get rid of this feeling like my space was invaded. Please send me some ideas!

Getting back to work.

2010-02-19T19:21:00.000-08:00

Sunday I get back to my sewing projects. I have been stuck in neutral since before the holidays so I have set a date to get out of this slump. Sunday February 21, 2010. I will prep my stuff in the morning. Go to my religious services that afternoon after that participating in hospitality by assisting with the lunch/dinner for the visiting elder that will be doing the public address. Then sewing!

My little designer has drawn 5 different outfits and we will have to get started searching for fabrics. I will be taking her with me to the Salvation Army Fabric Fair this year it is the best way for her to find all the fabric that she wants for her designs and I will be able to afford to purchase them for her. She is a smart little girl all her clothing will be for September, return to school, so the fashion show can happen sometime in the summer. This gives us lots at time but if we do not plan correctly we will be going frantic when the time comes.

Tomorrow I am going to meet Betty for dinner at Joe’s and girl talk. Since she moved away it feels like forever since I have seen her. I know it’s really not that long we got to talk a little during her sister’s baby shower. I am really looking forward to our getting together. I am hoping and praying that the snow storm they are expecting does not decided to start early. I hope the temperature stays about 40 so all we get is rain.

Of course that means I have to get all the stuff in the garage in cardboard boxes off the floor because water will be seeping in. It has already started to happen. Sunday that is our family project. I am sure I will be the only one doing the work but who knows hubby may help out. Scratch that! I will get some sewing done on Sunday because I have to stop being non productive creatively.

My mind can find other things that need to be done but if I really want to be successful with my skill I must practice my skill to become a true professional. So Sunday I get back to work.

I wasnt going to post this.

2010-02-18T21:13:00.000-08:00

I was not going to post this but it has been on my mind for 3 days now and I have to purge.
Betty's blog hit the nail on the head.

A friend's daughter just had a baby. I went to the hospital to see the little bundle of joy and I was so happy that I did. She is the cutest little girl baby. I was holding her and wishing that she would open her eyes. But she wiggled and cried. She has the little pudgy nose, beautiful jet black straight hair. I counted all her fingers and just could picture her as little girl. I am looking forward to watching her grow up. She finally stopped crying and I just held her. While holding the baby I listen to the conversation around me.

" Is the father coming to see her or was he already here."

" Oh I don't know the father I had Artificial Insemination. I really wanted to have a baby for sometime but my girl friend never wanted any. So last year when we broke up I decided that I would have a baby. I wanted a really pretty child so I decided that my child should be part korean. You know like Kem*ra Simm*ns. I watch her show a lot and her children are beautiful that is what made me decide on the race of the donor. It really was very easy I could chose what ever race I wanted the child to be and it worked so easily. They help me determine when I was ovulating and I got pregnanet the first time."

I stay for a minute more and then left.

She talked like she was shopping for a baby and picked one up just like she would have picked up a designer purse.

My anxiety was for the little baby, I'm hoping and praying that once the novelty of being a mom wears off that the child is not ignored because she is no longer the style of the season.

In my heart I believe she will be a good mother especially if she follows her mother example. This little child will be well loved and cared for.

Her attitude bothered me a great deal. It still bothers me.

I have gone to welcome new babies into the worlk and most couples are just so thrilled to have been blessed to have a baby. The they way the speak about the child and the journey to have the child. This woman tells the story the same way someone tell about shopping for shoes!

Maybe it is just me. I will give it a week and I will go to her house to see the child again. I hope her appreciation for this precious gift grows.

Slap the Eyebrows off someone Face

2010-02-16T20:43:00.001-08:00

There are a lot of things that just make me want to slap the eyebrows off someone face. The number one thing that make we feel that way is when someone makes up in their mind that I am a slacker.

There is a new employee in our department and she has no idea of what each person does in the department. That is not the correct way to explain it. She knows the job description and has made it up in her mind that she will be a widget processor. She was trained what is to be done for scheduling but she has decided that she will do just one function of that job and leave the rest to everyone else. Everyone else in her mind is me.

She had really decided that anything that she does not want to so I should do. She mistakes my usual mild manner to mean and that she can delegate what she does not want to do to me. She will ask for help on something and then give it to me like I am to take it and complete it. I usually give it back tell her I have work that needed to be done so she needs to finish what she started.

Her tactic then is to complain to the supervisor that something was not done and make sure that it is understood that I was the one who did not do it. I came into the room just as she was explaining this to the supervisor and the supervisor in turn started attempted to reprimand me for not doing the job. These were my words.

“I want both of you to stop what you are doing and look at me. I will not be accused of not doing my work. I complete my job to the best of my ability and I am not about to be overloaded with someone else’s work. When your work day is over you want to go home on time and I do as well. I will not stay after my work day has ended to complete something that you can take care of during your work day. “

The supervisor said something about teamwork and we all work together on different aspect of the scheduling and some things must be done at the end of the day because the morning is so busy.

“Well I guess you better take the time before you leave at the end of the YOUR day to make sure your portion of this is done because you will see I take care of what I need to before I leave.”

The supervisor said something that sounded like if it does not get done earlier than it need to be done before you go home.

“ I would not hold be breathe on that one. You as the supervisor need to make sure that it is done before anyone on your “TEAM” goes home. “

Then I left the room. I do not know what was said after I left nor do I care.

So when 2:30 came around the supervisor came to me and said did you finish blah blah blah. My response was yes here it is.
She then went to my coworkers who did not finish blah blah blah and she then started yelping about these must be done before you leave you cannot leave them for end of the day. There are doctors who have patients until 5:30 so these needs to be done before you leave.

I still need to slap the eyebrows off someone face.

Not sure what to do.

2010-02-14T17:49:00.000-08:00

Friday was the last day of work for my hubby. Today is sunday and he is never off on a sunday so he was not sure of what to do with his time.

He said lets go for a drive so I went along. After a while I noted the familar route he was taking. " Do you forget something in the office? "

"I just want to make sure the new guy is okay" Hump was my reply.

So we make it to the office and the new guy is doing fine because he is not alone, one of the daytime dispatcher was working with him. Once he determine that the guy was going to be ok we left.

He said. " I thought they were leaving him alone and I just wanted him to know that I will help out if needed." I just nodded my head and enjoyed the ride home.

When we got home. " What do you usually do on Sunday's"

" Clean."

" What do you clean?" I just looked at him. So he vaccumed the living room and hallway while I cleaned up the bathroom and gather the stuff for the wash.

" Now what do you do?" " Laundry"

He sat down with is lap top and started watching TV. Something that I would not watch so I am in the computer room.

We have to plan something for us to do next sunday. Sugesstions?

Of serious concern.

2010-02-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

There are time when we all tend to overdwell on something and this is something of serious concern to me right now. I probably will surface from time to time so please bare with me when I occasionally purge about CAPITAL. This may come up from time to time and since my blog has not real direction I figure I may as well add this to the subject matter. It may come up more now because I am consumed with thinking of ways to save, budget, earn fix my thinking when it comes to money.

Financial Diary

2/8/2010
I have decided to keep a financial dairy or Journal. This decision is because I am always losing sight of my financial goals. This happens with many different aspects of life for me. I lose weight when I am keeping a food diary of what I eat and how I felt when I ate it etc. and gain the weight when I stop. I complete more sewing projects when I keep a Journal of the daily thought and happenings.Forget completely about my projects when I stop writing about what I am doing. So I am hoping that I can achieve my financial goals which are: 1) control over my money and how it is spent, 2) achieving a saving that I could live off of for at least 6 months if I lost my job and 3) higher credit score so I can get credit because someone in the wonderful capitalist world decided that it would favor those with a higher scores. So by keeping this journal I am hoping to stay on track.

First of all It is important for the reader of this journal to understand that the usage of the following words I, me, or my actually refers to my husband, and myself. Since we were joined together in marriage, I = we, me= us, my = ours. To keep thing simple in my Financial diary I will just use my, I or me. This will be easier for all concern and especially for me because I swear my brain takes breaks without notice so I get lost easily.

Of course this diary is being started because I find myself in the hole again. I hate it because this happens every January and February. March I get out of it because it always a 3 week pay month so March becomes my recovery month. What makes this maddening is that it has been happening for the last 3 years and every time I think I have beaten it I get smacked in the face with the overdrawn notice from the bank and no funds to cover the amount overdrawn. The way bank process items, you can have several debits hit your account at the same time and they will always process the largest amount first and then you get the overdraft fees on the smaller amounts. This is way a payment of over 600.00 will always process before the 5.00 cup of coffee so if you have enough to pay the 600.00 and are .25 short of the 5.00 so your cup of coffee just cost you 40.00 dollars. Some people say the govt needs to regulate the banks I say read the fine print it's all disclosed to you.

Sorry I went off topic that happens a lot so excuse me.

Right now what I am going to do is look through all that I owe and make a list of each item and how much it is and then make the necessary payments.

Next I will attempt to figure out where my math went wrong and until I have master that I will return to the old fashion way of getting money orders and mailing out the payments.

I will leave at least 10% of my paycheck in the account so that I can start the whole saving 6 month worth of living funds.

The for day to day living is a bit more challenging because determination to stick to the plan it vital. fund for gas to go into the car will be put on a pay as you go debit card, maybe a gift card or just set aside in an envelope , my pocket money will be put into my pocket and once it is gone on well, no trips to the bank to pull funds mainly because only savings will be there. I will just have to be broke until the designated time for new pocket money to be put in my pocket comes around.

Easier said than actually done. But it is so much better for me to look in my pocket and find 4.75 and know that I cannot afford that cup of coffee than it is to use my debit card and pay 40.00 for a cup of coffee.

I know there is a lot more to consider but this is my goal for right now well at until Feb 12.

No going anywhere today.

2010-02-06T21:03:00.000-08:00

Because of all the snow every where and the county is in a state of emergency we stayed home. I had tickets for In the Heights but the afternoon performance was cancelled. So we will have to catch it later while it is still in the city.

My little niece has changed the name of her line or I got it wrong to begin with. It is Unnaturally Cool. She has and image of a rose which grows naturally in an unnatural color which makes it cool. The rose is green with pink dots and the stem is red. So I am working on creating this image for use in her clothing line. I will create some fabric print and get it printed at spoon flower it can be used as lining in some jackets, purses, hats and other times it can be the actually fabric print.

Her designs are for the fall season so we have all summer to create these 10 looks. As soon as the weather breaks we will get a better scheduled done as we can work together each week until it all done. I have her doing some research in fashion magazine to see if we can determine what the trend colors will be in the fall of 2010

In the meantime I have taken the time to reorganize or restash my fabric. As you can see I will not be going anywhere for a while.

Just something else to be added to the list.

2010-02-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

The list is not a list of projects that I am working on. The list is not a list of resolutions that I would make and never achieve. The list is trouble and more troubles.

Top of the list, My father in law is back in the hospital again. Same problem as before but not as serious at the first hospital stay. He was home for 3 days and just as Saturday was starting off to a relaxing day of running errand and making sure his dad was doing ok the phone rang. Todd took off to the hospital because this time the ambulance was called before Todd was called. To his relief the doctors told him it was not as bad as before but there is an active bleeder somewhere and they have to find it.

The endoscope did not show where the bleeder was but there was a big clot in the same place as before. The location of this clot was near the area where the stomach ends and the intestine start. I looked this up on the internet this area is call the pyloric canal. From what I read it could be cause by stomach cancer. My father in law did have stomach cancer but it was in full remission so maybe it came back but I would think the Doctors would be able to tell us that. I am going to mention it just the same.

Middle of the list, My husband’s new boss emailed him and asked him to come to the office during the day to have a meeting with him. Here is the thing; with everything that Todd is doing right now, going out of his way to meet with his boss was not going to be one of them. Someone in the office must have explained this to the new boss so the new boss made a special trip in to the office early so he could speak with Todd.

Todd explained that with his father declining health he has to be able to be close enough to get to him when he calls for his help. The dispatching job is 27 miles away it will take 40 minutes in good traffic to get to him. The bus driving job is 10 minutes away. The new boss just was not getting it. He offered Todd part time or just weekends but this was refused as well because it’s just too far away. Originally the office was located on the North Side of town but 2 years ago it was move to Sewickley and it has always been his fear that if something happen in the middle of the night while working that he would not get to his father in time.

Todd offered to train his replacement but on the 12th of February he would be done and gone.

So while my dear hubby was dealing with all of these things, life was not completely settled at my job in the scheduling room. One week a work associate was off sick the next week the other work associate was on vacation. So I did what I could to keep things running smoothly as I possibly could. Coming in early, being the last one to leave having lunch at my desk. This did not set well with my hubby and each time he complained I just told him “ I will get paid the overtime do not worry. “ Well I get paid on Friday and it should have 5.7 hours of OT on it. My wonderful employer gives us the capability to see our paystub before payday and my check was short! I had one day off to go for doctors appointments and they did not use my PTO. So my paycheck had a total of 77.7 hours for me instead of 85.7 hours.

I freak out because I just knew with all that my husband was dealing with the overtime would have been great. I also just knew he was going to blow a gasket when he found out that I did not receive the OT. My boss assured me that it will be the next paycheck but that does nothing for me right now.

What was Todd response when I explain what was going on with my paycheck? “ Just add that to the list. “ He said it so calmly that I had to ask what was he thinking. “ I just want to go home sit on the sofa and hold you in my arms until I fall asleep.”

So that is what we did and for right now forgetting about the list.

Weight Lifted......

2010-01-28T21:48:00.000-08:00

I was employed with Cole National and worked in the Optical Department. I started as a receptionist/front desk person and was about to become an optician in training

In time I was the front desk person, the person training patient in the insertion and removal of contacts. Maintain the stock of the eyeglass frames I even created a system use to keep track of what we have to display. It was a great idea because the district manager presented the idea at a corporate meeting as if it was his own. I did the ordering of the eyeglasses and processed all the paperwork. Prepared all the figures for the staff meeting to encourage staff to sell the add on.

At first I really liked this job. I worked like I was working for a parent who was going to give the family business to me one day. I truly enjoyed the interaction with the people and felt important. Since I live in the neighborhood many of my customers were also my friends and neighbors.

In time it became clear to me that I would never be considered for managed positions. I could run the department which was made clear to corporate because they let me run the department for 9 months before they actually put a manager in place. I was still expected to do everything that the manager would do. I was so upset and stress that one day I woke up thinking it was Sunday realized that it was Monday and actually passed out. My father came up to my room (I lived in the attic) to find out what happened. The next day I turn in my resignation letter. The weight was lifted off of me when I did that. I was excited to see what I would do next and ever so happy to leave it behind.

When I left they had to hire 2 full time people and 2 part time people to place. I was happy to be unemployed! 2 month later I left my family home and moved in with a girlfriend who needed some help with her children so I became a nanny to 2 little kids. A boy who had ADHD and his little sister and I love them dearly.

What is the reason for my retelling this? My husband just turned in his resignation letter. He works for a local direct drive service for 10 years. We have been married for 6 years and I know he never received a raise in pay during the years we were married. Actually he was told that no one was getting raises because the office was struggling to make a profit. Everyone in the office complained of not getting raises so that he does not dispute. His work schedule 11pm to 7am, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 7am to 3pm Saturday and 3pm to 11pm on Sunday. His father has been battling several illnesses during the time I have known him. Diabetes, Kidney disease, but he does not need dialysis yet, congestive heart failure, 2 open heart surgeries, double by-passes, prostate cancer, stomach cancer both in remission. And a host of other problems that come with just getting older and not following doctors instructions.

So when my husband would get off work he would drive a school bus and then go take his father to doctor’s appointments and then try to get some sleep before needing to go back out to drive the school bus to take the children home from school try to get some sleep before going to work that night. And do not forget that I being a needy wife wanted some attention. Friday used to be good night for us to go out be he would still be tired and usually by 8:00 we would be home. Him asleep on the sofa while the TV watched him and I was doing something so where in the apartment.

He said to me that when he turned in his resignation letter it felt like a weight was lifted off of him. He feels freer to be there for his father, he will keep the job with the school bus company. He just received a phone call from the motor coach division of the school bus company asking him to come in for some training classes to be a motor coach driver. This is something that he hoped to do as well and now he will be able to do this also.

He is more relaxed and happier. Feb12, 2010 is his last day of full time employment.

Then we move on into a new chapter of our life together.

What is ......

2010-01-26T21:47:00.000-08:00

What is the purpose of having an appointment only to be told that you do not have one when you arrive at the appointed time?

What is the purpose of receiving a confirmation of that appointment only to be told you do not have one when you arrive at the confirmed day and time?

Why does the front desk person then want to make what was their mistake my mistake?

What is the point have attempting to continue a conversation with someone who was employed only because she is the Doctors daughter?

Why ask why? I need a beer.

Sisters can be a pain.

2010-01-25T17:57:00.000-08:00

Especially when they think that their time is to valuable to do something as simple as drop off her daughter to my house Saturday.

When we talked in detail about how his is going to work it was decided that T.B and I would work together on weekends. One weekend on a Saturday next weekend on a Sunday. On Saturday's my sister will drop her off around 1 in the afternoon and I would bring her home around 5. On Sunday I will pick her up around 3 in the afternoon and she would come and get her around 4 or 5.

Somehow after we decided this either she or her daughter's schedule suddenly was full. Saturday T.B. had to go to the beauty shop to get her hair braided. If I wanted I could pick her up around 3 and then bring her home after we were finished.

See I know my sister if I gave in to pickup and drops off at the very beginning then I would be doing it all the time. Sunday her family was going to visit their dad's grandmother. So two weeks went by with no work being done on her clothing line.

So I asked my sister to get the measurement of the children who are going to be her models since they live near her and I will get the measurements from her. I will use the measurement to draft some pattern on which the clothing can be customized according to my nieces designs.

My niece still has not decided who her models are going to be.

Just the other Saturday I decided that i would drive my husband to work. There was some running around my Auntie needed to do and then I would pick up TB and we can get some work done. I came to her house and my sister and her children were no where to be found. This is however all my fault because I did not call in advance to find out what was going on.

She started tell me about the possibility of a house she had found and that she would like some help packing up the stuff. She then explained how busy she had been recently and wondered if I could come over some Saturday. I told her Friday's would be better. She said that Friday were difficult because she had so much to get ready for the weekend but Saturday evening would be perfect. I told here I would come Friday after work around 7:00. She said that is a bad time for her. I told her I could only help on Friday's after work around 7:00.

Updates

2010-01-21T18:14:00.000-08:00

What was the cause?

That is the 10,000 dollar question. My FIL had 3 pints of blood removed from his stomach and they could not find a bleeder. Once he is released from the hospital he will be getting the capsule endoscopy which is basically a pill shaped camera that will send the photos to the doctor in hopes of finding the course of his bleeding.

While in the hospital they did to endoscopy but found nothing. Well the first endoscopy showed blood with lots of clots still in his belly. They thought one big clot was blocking the source of his bleeding but since it had clotted they did not want to move it for fear of starting the bleeding again. The next day they did a second endoscopy and there was no blood in his stomach and nothing that looked like the source of the bleeding. The next plan is to do the pill shaped camera.

The doctor explains that even after doing this procedure they may not find the source of his bleeding.

His breathing is labored because his body is retaining fluid. So they stopped the IV’s and are giving him lasix to get rid of the retained fluid. But he was able to eat today! Which he is really happy about. I don’t know if the food was good or if it was just good to have some food.

We still do not know what cause this and we may never find out. But if all continues to go well he should be home before Sunday.

~~~~~T.B Fashion Line.

Before the end of the friday I should be back in my sewing studio finishing some UFO before starting anything new. I will have to make a schedule so I have set day to work on my little desigers clothing line. This weekend we get started.

~~~~~~~I never got the house cleaner.

Tonight I clean everything myself bummer.

Thanks so very much!

2010-01-19T19:57:00.001-08:00

Thanks you all so very much to sending pray and good luck to my FIL. This is very much appreciated. Some how appreciation does not seem to be the right word but I hope you realize how good this made me feel.

Thanks Betty, much love.

The Doctor did a second endoscope and they found nothing. The clots had broken up and were suction out of his stomach thru the tube in his nose. There was no active bleeding, no place in his stomach looked like it was the source of the bleeding.

The tube was removed tonight and if there is no more vomiting he will be place in a regular room. Since he had not vomited since last night tomorrow I am confident he will be in a regular room.

Today was difficult for a number of reasons. First I had to go to work. Todd had to be there to reassure his father and daughter and keep it together himself. I kept calling because I knew I could tell by the sound of his voice if I need to drop everything and get there. Betty was on stand-by with the cobalt engine running if needed which was so totally cool! She is a great friend.

The only thing I heard in his voice after about 4 phone calls was annoyance so I told him to call me.

FIL was stable condition and the only pain he was in was from the tube hitting the back of his throat. The tube is about the size of a drinking straw and no matter how flexible it was it just hurt his throat. He was definitely happy to get rid of that! So happy in fact he went to sleep while trying to talk.

He is no long pale and he does not look so fragile. Tomorrow I am sure he will be fussing at Todd about something of little to no importance. We rather had that than the " I don't want to bother any body." crazy talk.

I love him dearly and sincerely need him to live for a long time. He is 79 years of age but I have only known him for 6 years. He has so much knowledge and I need to learn as much as I can. We can have some of the best conversation and I always learn something.

I know there will come a time when we may not be so fortunate to have him around until that day come we will treasure everyday we have with him.

WHY DID I DO THAT?

2010-01-18T19:12:00.001-08:00

We were awakened at 6:40 with the ringing of the telephone. Usually when the phone rings my Hubby turns to me and says " Are you expecting a call?" This time he just got up and answered the phone. His daughter was calling to tell him that her grandfather was vomiting blood. We immediately got up and dress and was at the house before the ambulance was there.

I just stood back and stayed out of the way. But that did not last long because Hubby did not know what to do. His father started with the " I don't want to bother anybody?" crap that he says when he thinks he is about to die. I just asked some questions. When did you start vomiting blood? 4:30 How many times did you vomit? Once maybe twice Where were you when you vomited? In the bathroom it's in the garbage can you can look at it. I went back into the living room and waited by the door for the ambulance to arrive. I told Todd tell the ME exactly what he said about vomiting.

ME arrived and went to work. He told them all the information and one of the ME looked at the blood in the garbage. They said it did not look to bad but he had to go to the hospital. Pap said he would go there later himself. The ME looked at Todd, he shook ed his head no. So they got the gurney and put him in the ambulance.
We were in the car waiting for them to pull of when the driver came back and said to my husband. "Do not try to follow me I will have the sirens going and you could get into an accident."

I am so happy He told my husband that because I could just see us in the red mercury mystique flying down the road like some action movie trailer.

At the hospital he vomited again this time lots of clots! They put the tube through his nose, down his throat to his stomach and turned on the suction. Once again lots of blood and lots of clots. The clots actually clogged the tube.

The doctor told us that he is going to be admitted to ICU and they had to stabilize him and find the source of the bleeding. When he stopped vomiting and was finally asleep we went home to take showers and make phone calls.

We went back to the hospital and visited in the ICU for 1/2 hour and then waited for the Doctor who was doing the scope. 1 1/2 hours later she came out to talk to us. There is lots of blood in his stomach. This is a giant clot that they could not move so they believe this could be the source of the bleeder but they will have to do a scope tomorrow hopefully the clot will have moved so they can see behind it. Since he was sleep from the medicine they gave him to do the scope we went home to update the rest of the family.

We were finally calming down when I was reminded of a bill that I needed to pay online. In the middle of doing my payment and MasterCard pop up screen came up asking for my debit card information, INCLUDING MY PIN NUMBER!

I did not think I just did it. Soon as I did it I thought WHY DID I DO THAT? I worked at a bank for 10 years and always told people never give anyone your pin number the bank does not need that information. Old people usually were the ones every now and then it would be someone who clearly should know better. WHY DID I DO THAT? I call the bank at the 800 number and suspended my card. So now I have to make a trip into the branch with photo ID to get a new card.

Stress will make you do some stupid things!

Invisibility Shield Surrounding me.

2010-01-17T21:02:00.001-08:00

Saturday I attended a circuit convention which is really what I needed to hear. I will not give you details but it was about safeguarding your spirituality.

I felt so much better coming home from the special session. We went to Denny for dinner. I had the Prime Rib sizzling skillet and coke to drink. Hubby and I had wonderful conversation and my sister join us while we were there.

They were nice to each other for a change and it was a beautiful evening and I was feeling good.

I need to get some tights to wear tomorrow so Hubby took me to Target. It was the closest store. I doubted that they would have what I needed but why spoil a wonderful evening by complaining about the store we went to.

As we entered the store Hubby saw 2 females who were close friends. They were so happy to see him. Me they ignored. I became totally invisible.

The older woman looked to be in her 50 or so and the younger looked to be late 30’s. They hugged started talking about old times, asked about his daughter, how old was she has it really been 20 years. The younger of the two when to get her son (4 or 5) she wanted to introduce him to Todd, but the child kept hiding from her. Hubby did something that he never did before. He ignored me. I instantly became invisible and He never made me visible. Usually he always break the shield of invisibility by introducing me to whomever he met. This time he allowed the shield of invisibility surround me. The conversations continue and after 10 minutes I told Todd I would catch up with him later. He just nodded as he took out his wallet to show them a picture of his daughter.

I left and just roamed through the store. I could not find what I wanted so I just started looking at anything. After some time, not sure how much time, I was ready to go. I found him in the electronics department. I did not have much to say on the ride home and he wanted to know what was wrong.

I wanted to say “Oh you can see me now?” But I did not. He started telling me when he knew them and a bunch of other stuff that I was not listening to at all.

Usually when something of this nature happens I can ALWAYS count on him to introduce me to whomever he is talking to shattering the invisibility shield they attempted to put around me. But he did not do that this time. I should have listened to what he was saying on our way home this may be given me some insight into the reason for allowing the shield of invisibility to be place around me and his reason for not shattering it.

He talked, I thought about a silver snake print skirt that I had made but did not hem. I wondered where I put the hem tape because I should have finished it on Friday. Since I didn’t finish it I was mentally searching my closet to discover some other outfit to wear tomorrow.

I do not like being invisible.

My computer is dieing!

2010-01-16T19:08:00.000-08:00

I am so stressed. My computer is dieing, it looks all weird. I call the tech support people for verizon since I was playing one of there games when everything went kabluey.

I was so upset my hubby asked me what was wrong? I told him so he ran a cleaner program on the computer but it still not it normal healthy self.

I will be back online soon I hope. I am just no good without my computer.

"sigh"

Unnecessarily Cool a clothing line by T. B.

2010-01-12T21:31:00.000-08:00

Unnecessarily Cool by T. B. This is the name of my niece’s line of clothing she wants to design. She is working on the logo and we will be getting together in the next week or so to choose fabrics and colors. She is still trying to figure out who her models are going to be. I talked her down to 5 models with each model having 2 outfits.

I thought her fashion show could be at my house. My living room is rectangular in shape and there would be enough room for the family to watch the fashion show. Our family total about 20 people. Afterward we could have some light food afterward. I would create a scrapbook of the whole event and that would be it.

I called my sister to see what she thought my ideas and to set up a schedule for us to get together regularly to accomplish this. Before I could tell her my ideas for the fashion show she told me hers.

She was going to rent a center near her home. Create flyers so T could pass them out to her school mates and friends so they could attend. Jo was going to a couple of boutiques in the area and give them invitations to the fashion show. Her hope is that one of the boutique owners would put T clothing line in their store. She was going to hire a photographer to video the whole event so T could have a keepsake.

“Whoa! Hold up!” That is a lot of money being spent are you selling tickets or something. No fashion shows really do not last that long once the models are done so she was not going to charge anyone anything. She really wants one of the boutiques to pick up her clothing line. Once again I was saying “Whoa! Hold up! Do you have a manufacturer for these items or what?” Her exact words to me were “You can make them and if we get enough orders then you can quit your job and earn money making the clothing and stuff.” I decided that she had been watching too much Disney channel or Nick jr. True Jackson is a teenager who works for a fashion house on one of those networks.

I just laughed, not because it is this could never happen, stranger things have, but because T is 11 years old. This could be a passing phase for T. She may be excited about it now but once you started with all the work involved she my lose interest and then what. You have all these people coming to a fashion show that I will have to finish for the little girl. I am sure that is the way it going to be anyway but really I not sure if I want that. Jo is quite sure that is what she wants.

Next Saturday we will see how determined T.B actually is to create her Unnecessarily Cool clothing line.

I WILL !

2010-01-10T18:09:00.000-08:00

My niece, T has decided that she is a fashion designer. Her mother wants to encourage her so she asked me to make some of her designs. The first couple of her fashion designs were much too old for her. She is 11 years old she thinks she is 21 so there is the problem.

I told her that she need to designs clothes for her age group. Look at the way her friends dress and they clothing her mother allow her to wear and then design fashions in this manner.

She should think of where they would wear the clothing; School, Kenny wood, the mall, movies or just hanging our with her friends. She said she would try.

Friday she showed me a notebook with some fashion designs in it and they were perfect for her. She did a great job so we will make these designs for her to wear.

Saturday I received a text from her mother saying she wanted to do a fashion show of T’s designs.

She is currently working on more fashions and a name for us to launch her line of clothing.

She has 10 friends who will model the clothes on the runway. 5 girls and 5 boys she thinks she will have 2 designs for each child. Wednesday I will go and get everyone measurements and draw up some blanks for the patterns and then Friday, T and I will get to work.

By helping her with this current dream of hers I will be a great motivator to my children(nieces and nephews). They can accomplish anything they desire and I am going to do my best by showing her how.

"If you take responsibility for yourself you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams."

2010-01-08T20:55:00.000-08:00

I am ready to make the necessary changes in my life to better my life style. So that I can be a better person. What make this time different than any other time or any other goal I have set for myself. To be honest I don’t know.

I do know that I don’t want to die overweight and out of shape. I know that I am not stupid, or lazy or ignorant, I need people to see smart, strong, determine and hardworking person when they see me. I want to be able to make a difference in the lives of the people I am around. I need to be a better role model for my family and people that I meet and most importantly for myself.

Recently I have been thinking about what I could have done, should have done and then I come to know that since I am not dead I still can accomplish each of the, could haves and should haves. I can work every day toward accomplishing each of these things and a lot more.

I should be more Zealous in my ministry.
I could have read the bible from Genesis to Revelation
I should read more than one translation of the bible
I could have my degree in information management,
I should keep up to date on the changing technology
I could have earning power so that I can get what I NEED.
I should have my own business doing something creative.
I could have a regular exercise routine so that keeping fit should not be a problem.
I should be a great motivator to my children (nieces and nephews). They can accomplish anything they desire it helps to see that as well as hear it.
I should, could and need to be proud of me.

I should be able to accomplish each of these and more just by living a productive, driven lifestyle.

"If you take responsibility for yourself you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams."
Les Brown

Back to work.

2009-12-28T18:01:00.000-08:00

I have not finish my winter coat as a result I have been going without a coat. Which is much easier than I thought. My car is parked in the garage and I hubby lets me out at the front door to my JOB.

But since it has started snowing, the need for the coat has arisen again because a fleece is not enough when cleaning the driveway.

My Sewing studio has been cleaned bare but not set up to workable conditions. And the coat that I was working on is somewhere in the unorganized closet. I have somethings that need to be finish in the space to make it completely workable.

The fabric which has been stuffed into the wardrobe and taped closed has to be organized and put on storage shelving. I really do not want to store the fabric in plastic bins out of sight means I need more fabric. I need to see the fabric and inspired to create.

I have to then get rid of the wardrobe that the fabric is stored in. My sewing table has to double as a cutting table which will be a challenge because the sewing table height is at least 25 inches high and the cutting table i need to be at least 30 t0 35 inches high big difference.

Since the sewing room was also to be a guest room I have to have space for a futon or day bed to be in the room.

I need to give my home business a real attempt and my sewing room is key to all of this taking place. Plus I need to step up my clothing style and I have always done this by making the clothes myself. Lots to get done. So its time to get back to work.

almost abandoned.

2009-11-13T21:04:00.000-08:00

I have almost abandoned my blog. I have no reason.

I have almost abandoned my winter Jacket. I am crocheting right now and the jacket does not seem to be urgent.

I have almost abandoned my budget. I am the only one who stick to it and it requires both of us to make it work

I have almost abandoned my car. I just had a new cat converter put it so I will be keeping it a little longer.

I have almost abandoned hope. I have faith in a lot of different things but I don't have much hope.

I have been on vacation this week to celebrate our 6th anniversary. To commerate that day that my life changed direction.

It has become a custom to take off. My hubby has two jobs and he was off from one and working the other. Which means that we did not go anywhere. I had abandoned thoughts a of real vacation 2 days after putting in the request to be off from work.

I missed getting the information for open enrollment at work. Since I was not at work I had forgotten all about it until about 30 minutes ago.

I have almost abandoned my weight loss program but I realized that I did lose more weight so I am sticking with that.

I am wide awake and full of energy and I have abandoned any hope of falling asleep tonight.

Tomorrow!!

2009-10-22T22:29:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow!!

Regardless of what happens I will be back to sewing!

So tomorrow I will have something worth while to post.

Today two people I know had their tires cut while they were at work!

I hate this system of things!

See you tomorrow.

At this point...

2009-10-20T20:34:00.001-07:00

At this point I should have pictures of a completed or almost completed winter jacket. But as you can tell this is not the case.

We are entering flu season and because my position in the hospital clinic I have direct contact with patients so I get the flu shot. Even when I did not have direct patient contact I got the flu shot.

This is the first year that 3 weeks after getting the flu shot I got sick. I know I did not get sick from the shot I was infected because sick people do not stay at home when they are sick.

One Clinical staff come in sick, stayed 1/2 day and then when home because she could not work she was so sick.

Another Clinical staff came to work so sick she was walking into the walls. She had to be sent home.

My supervisor came to work sick and worked for 2 days before someone told her please go home.

My Coworker who shares my office space started getting sick on Tuesday, Wednesday she came to work but she said she was ok. Thursday she was having a hard time working Friday she left work early.

Friday I had a sore throat at 1 or 2 in the afternoon and by the end of clinic I knew I was sick because I was cold and nothing could warm me up. I was drinking hot water, not tea, just hot water. I had a heater at my feet and I could not get warm.

By the time I got home I was ill! My sewing weekend was ruin because I could not hold my head up.

The headaches were very intense, the congestion was all in my sinus. I was lightheaded and could not sleep because everytime I laid down the pressure build up in my head.

Finally I made a wedge of all the pillows I could find and slept sitting up.

Monday I was still having dizziness and congestions so I stayed home.

This morning I was no longer dizzy and did not have a fever so I went to work. I was not sneezing a coughing all over the place but I was not totally cleared of my illness. I went to work because one staff member was off this whole week.

It was explained to me that if I get worst and have a fever then I am to go to any of our hospital ER and show my ID badge explain that I have direct contact with patient and they will test me for the H1N1 virus.

It will take 3 days for the results to come back and I am to take PTO for thoses 3 days. If the result is Negative then I can come back to work.

If the results are Positive then I have to inform my supervisor of the test results and I am not to return to work for an additional 5 days using PTO for that time off or don't use PTO just don't get paid. Then I can return to work.

Actually I am more upset that I did not get to do my sewing. Well the weather is to be in the 70's tomorrow so I will not need a coat for tomorrow. Maybe I can start sewing tomorrow after work.

Nov 21, 1976

2009-10-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

I am often asked when did I start sewing. I felt like I have been sewing forever so I really did not have an answer for them. Most times I would just say I was 14 years old.

Turns out I was right.

Sister Gladys O Christian was a close friend of my mother's. She was at least 20 to 25 years older than my mother so we treated her like a grandmother. She probably was the one who got my mother to teach me to sew. She visited us just about everyday.

I remember making a yellow pant suit. When I finished I proudly show it to her and she inspected each and every seam and then she had me model it for her. It fit great and I really loved that suit. She told me that I did a very good job.

The next day she came to the house with a book I was not at home at the time but she left it for me.

Inside she wrote To Lavon From Sister Gladys O Christian November 21, 1976.

I had completely forgot that until I found this book again. I remember going to her apartment in the senior building and thanked her. She said it was given to her by an aunt. Since I was doing so well she thought I could complete some of the projects in the book.

Did I wear that suit in November? Yes I did and I got lots of comments about it. Gregory said it was a nice suit but I should have waited until Spring to wear it. He said I was a chick that hatched early.

To the project at hand. My winter jacket. I should have a lot more done but I don't. I got a little distracted when a close family friend had a death in her family and we went to offer comfort and support.

I did get the interfacing done.

These are fusible interfacing. The grey interfacing = Suit Shape which is a canvas interfacing. The Black interfacing = Shape flex this is also a canvas interfacing but it is much stiffer and I am guessing that this is the best use in the jacket that I am making.

I took my time with the fusible interfacing because if the iron is too hot it puckers and if the iron is too cool the bond is temporary at best. So tomorrow is a non sewing day so I may cut the lining then and start sewing on Wednesday because Thursday is Project Runway day.

Do something creative every day!

Winter Jacket

2009-10-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

I need a winter coat. I have been talking about a winter jacket for a while and Last night during Project Runway I laid out my pattern for my coat.

I chose this pattern because 1. it is easy and 2 the adjustment that needed to be made would be easy.

This is what I did; to the jacket front and jacket back pattern pieces
I added 1 inch to the bust line; 1.5 inches to the waistline;2.25 inches to the hip; finally 7 inches to the jacket length.

Then I added 1 inch to the sleeve width. Add 3 inches to the sleeve length.

If I need to make any additional adjustments as I go along I will just notate them in my project notebook. I have some other wool fabric that need to be used so this jacket pattern will work for those projects as well. Once this is completed I hope I love this jacket so I can make plenty more.

The fabric is chocolate brown.

The texture is like crepe fabric and it does feel pretty good for a coat. This is a wool Crepe fabric but I will have to put lining in it.

Since the pattern has a yoke at the top my lining will be the pattern pieces for the front and back without the yoke. I will quilt the lining with batting for baby's quilt. I know it is machine washable batting but I believe it will dry clean well. I am still determining if the sleeves will be lined or not. I am pretty sure that they will be.

Tonight I will be fusing the interfacing on the yoke and collar and facings.
Tomorrow I will be quilting the lining
Sunday I sew the yoke and collar and possibly work some the of the main construction of the front and back.
Monday I will post a new entry.

Have a great weekend and Be creative every day.

Thinking is not a requirement, but it better than this.

2009-10-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

Stop me if you heard this one before.

I need stimulating conversation at work. Now that Betty is gone and has moved on to better things I am stuck trying to have conversation with my current coworker who rarely listen to what I am saying or just give me a blank stare.

Here is an example:

Me: Hey coworker, what do you think of purpose of philosophy could be?

Coworker: silence

The way our office is situated she sits behind me. So I turn around to make sure she heard me and she is reading her facebook page.

Me: Hey!

Coworker: Uh! What did you say?

Me: Philosophy……..what do you think about it?

Coworker: What?

Me: Ya know the study of general problems like existence, knowledge, values and such.

Coworker: turns and looks at me with a blank expression. “What?”

I turn back to my desk “never mind”.

Coworker: “No really I am listening what about it now.”

I start talking but not about anything in particular just rattling something that has very little to do with the question raise. Quite simply put I am not a great debater. I just felt the need to talk about something more cerebral. After a while I realize I have not gotten a single response from her and I turn to see her reading her face book page again.

I think I will buy a book.

Whatever

2009-10-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

Today was not so bad but whatever. Whatever just means that what I am feeling is nothing to shout from the mountain top nor is it anything to cry about it’s just whatever.

We received our new lease when I read the note enclosed with the lease it says that the rent increase was going to be 20 percent. I love this place but a 20 percent increase was beyond what we could afford. I told hubby that we should look into one of the apartment complex but he nixes that because he wants to stay in the neighborhood close to his father. I can understand why, his father is ill and often deal with depression that comes with long term illness and dependence on others for everyday things that he would do for himself if he could. Whatever he thinks we still have to move. He starts in on owning his own home.

I don’t want to own a home I like calling the landlord when something is wrong and it gets fixed right away. I like having the freedom to live like a nomad if I wanted to. So after 15 minutes of me telling him all the reason why I don’t want a home I have to listen to 40 minutes of reason why we should own a home and then I am shown all the houses in the area.

However he has no follow through in doing what is necessary to own a home. So just to help him in his dream I have started the process of getting our credit information and credit scores. This way we can strengthen our credit by dealing with any credit disputes or delinquencies, take the necessary steps to strengthen our credit history. Since this takes time and will not be done overnight we must decide what we want in a house and where we want to live etc…….

While this conversation is going on I look at the note again and it actually says the increase is 2.6% which calculates out to 20.00 more each month. So this is our last year here. I am still hoping for an apartment complex but I will get things in place for us to get a loan for his house. That includes getting rid of stuff that is not being used so I don’t have to move it into our new place and it continue to not be used.

So he looks in the home booklets and I am searching for the next perfect rental place for us to live in, which all amounts to whatever.

It does not pay to wait until the last minute.

2009-09-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I decided that I needed a dress to wear, today. I did make the dress but I was not happy with it.

I designed a shift dress with ruffles around the collar.

I hated the ruffle. It did not lay the way I wanted it to. Because the fabric was really too thick for the type of soft ruffle effect that I wanted. So I removed the ruffle that I put on. I searched through my stash of fabric and of course I did not have the right type of fabric in the right color.

When I removed the ruffle I stretched the neckline in the front of the dress so I need to make some more adjustments to it.

When you wear a jacket with it no one can see the mistakes or the dress. So once I have fixed it to look the way it really should I will post it correctly.

It does not pay to wait until the last minute.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the evening I have been crocheting Tri-Color squares for the guest bedroom. Two shades of blue the other color is white. I have so much yarn its time for me to start creating afghans to use it all up.

I starting connecting the squares as I go along. There will be 10 squares in each row. This row is almost done. 2 more squares to go.

After I complete this row I will start sizing my Motif for the Motif Afghan features in the Crochet Along on the Lion Brand Notebook blog. This time I will start and finish it. and not wait until the last minute.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My sister does not have a computer. I kept telling her that the Little Designers are going to need it for school work. But she did not get the computer dispite several great sales last Christmas time.

One of the Little Designers is now enrolled in a performing arts school. I was teasing my sister and told her that soon she will be bringing home a note saying she needs a laptop computer. She laugh it off.

Friday the Little Designer brought home the note, She needs a laptop for school starting monday. I thought it was funny. My sister was not so amused. So all the Aunts are pitching in to get her a laptop. I still think it funny. It does not pay to wait until the last minute. If anything it cost more!

Crochet A Long

2009-09-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

Lion Yard Is doing a new Crochet A-long. I was not successful with the last one. I went to the store to pick the color yard and nothing appealed to me. So It was a project that never got started.

However I should be better with this one. Since I was already crocheting it should be easy to start something else.

These are the square I am crocheting in the evening after dinner and before bed. I should have a lot more done but Oh well.

The yard you see at the beginning are the colors I will use for the New Crochet A long. Will be interesting. I have never crochet this Motif before. I am looking forward to it.

My White Pizza is heating in the oven. Hubby should be asleep so tonight is as good as any other for crocheting.

I still have not started my yummy chocolate brown coat. Soon I am sure.

Do something creative every day!

Hello Again.

2009-09-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

I have not used the blog in a while. But I have decided to return to blogging. I guess the blog is like my sewing momentum. I can get started and sew every day for days, months years and then suddenly I stop. No reason I just stop. So I guess I’m back again.

Okay so the winter coat that I want to make is chocolate brown and the lining is the same color. I have decided the quilt the lining with the batting that I use in making baby blankets. I am going to do the stitching by hand. I will be using gold metallic thread and I want the center of the stitching to be my name. In a graffiti style that I created years ago in a poster that was destroyed when my family home was involved in a fire.

After thinking about it I changed my mind and decided that it say “a mere saffron of the valley” the reason this works for me is because if I ever had a clothing store it would be called “Amere Saffron”.
I have not drawn the perfect lily for this sign so it stays in my head. But having the saying “a mere saffron of the valley” stitched into the lining of my coat is heading in the right direction. Maybe if I every get and embroidery machine I can make beautiful embroidered lining in all my coats and jackets. I am sure some designer line has this already but I can’t remember who it is at this point.

I am back to getting up at 5:00 in the morning and this is when I will do my sewing 5:30 to 6:30. 4 days a week. In the evening before going to bed I will plan out the morning work. 7:00 to 7:30 will be my exercise time. I will be showered and dressed by 8:30 and ready to walk out the door. On the days when I am not working on my sewing projects I will be preparing dinner for 2 days and cleaning.

I am also back to sketching again. I am by no means an artist but this does relax me and hopefully will enable me to sleep before 2:00 am.

My little designer has been busy designing clothes so I will have her in my sewing studio on Sunday afternoons. I will be busy creating these for her and helping her to learn to sew them for herself.

That’s it for now. Remember to express yourself creatively everyday!

Moving on to the next project!

2009-09-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

First let me apologize for not updating anyone who actually reads this blog with the exception of my self and Betty occasionally.

The dress is completed. The wedding is over and she loved the dress. The final fitting was the week before the wedding and it looked beautiful. I am actually proud of the hem. It was the correct length.

I was prepared for it to be off a little the sewing machine was up and read to go but when she put it on with the shoes she was to wear for the wedding you could see it float across the floor as she walked. I was very happy and extremely relieved.

Hems can be scary things. I could tell you about the summer dress that was to be a Maxi that turn into a summer tunic to wear with leggings. Sounds laughable but believe me when I say the tunic hem was lopsided but at that point I just left it as it was just so I could wear it. I need something to show for my effort.

My next project is a winter coat for me. Chocolate Brown! Yummy!

PUTTING IT TOGETHER!

2009-08-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

The deconstruction is over.
AUGUST 1, 2009
The fitting went well. I really feel bad having to make people stand still for an hour but that is about how long it took. I pinned the pieces in place and she said it felt comfortable and there was enough room to grow into. I searched for my footstool. It is so much easier the pin the hemline while it is hanging off the floor. My footstool was gone and I know which sister took it. (She claims she is not short so I can imagine why she would take my footstool but I know she has it!) So I had to it pin the hemline off the floor. I am always never quite sure when I do it like this.

After she was gone I put the dress on the dress form and put running stitching in it fabric by hand this will mark the seam allowances. Once that was done I pinned notes the left side and noted the front and back sides and did the same on the opposite side. Now I was able to unpin the pieces and know that I would be able to sew them in place with no major problems.

AUGUST 3, 2009
The fabric that I am using for the lining is not the same color of the dress. It’s black! This is the best choice it will not show through the fabric. I would have loved to have had the same color of the dress but I could not find a match at the fabric store. Any additional shawls of the same color were out of state. So I used what I had and that was black.

The black was a silk that I had used in lining before. It feels really great against the skin. I had enough of the black fabric for both sides of the dress. What I had to do for one side to be the correct shape to fit the dress correctly was to take pieces and sew them together. I took the opportunity to get rid of some of the bobbins that had small amounts of black thread remaining on them. 4 bobbins later I had the finish piecing the lining together and now it was time to add it to the dress. I put the lining in place and that was enough for that day.

AUGUST 6, 2009
The left side of the fabric was put in to place. This took two hours. Not sure why but it is in place. Enough for that day.

AUGUST 8, 2009
Sat looking at the dress trying to figure out why it took two hours to put the left side in. I am really trying to avoid that if I can. One hour passed and I have decided that I will do it tomorrow. Right now I will look for a pattern for a dress for me and lay it out so that when I am finish putting the right side in tomorrow I can start sewing on a dress for myself.

My dress form had changed!

2009-07-23T04:24:00.001-07:00

I decided that it would be easier to make the changes to the dress if I had a body double so I made some changes to my dress form.

I started with one pillow but that was not enough to get the measurment that I needed. So I used two pillows. This gave me a waist measurement of 42 inches. This is okay because when my client was here she was 40 inches.

Then I covered it with the batting. I pulled the string from the dress form through the batting which elimate the uniboob effect.

I put the clean white sheet on the floor and put the dress on the form. It is so much easier to remove the last stitches in the top of the dress once it was on the dress form.

The piece that I add will be shaped like a wedge. 2 inches wide at the top, 6 inches wide at the waist and 8 inches at the hip. To keep the dress easy to walk in the bottom of the wedge will be about 10 inches wide.

I am also thinking that I need to add more inches for additional growth. I have no idea how big her waist will become. So room for growth is essential.

I listen to Teena Marie while I worked this time.

This will work out fine. So I am going to prepare the fabric that she gave me to work with. I need to cut 4 wedges 2 for the lining and 2 for the dress. I am pretty sure that I will need fabric.

DECONSTRUCTION OF BRIDESMAID DRESS PART ONE

2009-07-14T20:12:00.001-07:00

I have been sewing since I was 14 years of age. It was mostly out of necessity, I was tall and nothing fit. My mother was always right by my side but by the age of 14 she just no longer were there. She was busy with other stuff and left the sewing to me and if I had a question she would help.

I would spend hours listening to my music and sewing. After a while I started making things for other people.

After 5 cocktail dresses,
Prom dresses,
Mother of the bride dresses
Maternity dresses
Maternity shirts
Clothing for little girls and lots of other things as well

I have been called to replace zippers, change the hemline of skirts or dresses and pants, and at times called to make this smaller and or make this bigger.

I have recently been hired to make alterations to a bridesmaid dress.

By the time of the wedding she will be 5 months pregnant. Right now her waist is 40 inches.

I have seam ripper in hand and it is time to open up some seams! She will return on August 1st and we will do additional measurements at that time. August 28th is the wedding. My plan is that everything will be done the week before!

The dress has several workable seams. It is an A line gown, there are 2 in the front that I can open and add fabric there. On each side of the gown are 2 seams and I can open and add fabric there. I do not want to add to the back of the gown but I can increase the size here as well just by reducing the seam allowances.

It is a lined gown with netting between the fabric and the lining in the skirt portion of it. So the netting will be removed temporarily it will be replace after the final fitting. Since the netting is used to add fullness to the dress she may not want the additional fullness once everything is done.

So today I am removing the netting and tomorrow ripping out some of the stitching for some of the side seams.

I has search through all my thread and guess what! I have the right color so I just have to get more thread of the same color and we are set to go!

This is going to be fun!

water is the best thing to keep us young!

2009-07-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

Sewing projects

2009-07-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the before picture.

You can see how big the armhole is and although it may not be clear the dress just hangs on me. I started my reconstruction of the dress by removing the side seams stitching and based on my measurement resewed the seams with a 1 ½ inch seam allowance on both sides. Checked the fit again and it felt so much better.

I could not find the right color ribbon in my notions to give the dress the empire waist look so I just decided to put that on hold. One day I may add that ribbon.

Here is the after picture courtesy of hubby who did not want to take the picture!

Just looking at the pictures you really cannot see a difference in the way it fits but it does feel better and the little designers like it.

A friend at work saw this outfit and asked if I had made the blouse.

This picture was also taken by an unwilling hubby.

I said that I did and she ask if she could borrow the pattern so her stepmother could make one for her. I told her I would bring it to her on Monday. Not really sure why I was okay with lending her the pattern but I will keep to my word and bring it to her on Monday.

Today, I decided that I need 2 more blouses from this pattern before I would lend it out. So I made this today.

Its difficult to see but I will wear it tomorrow with a black skirt. I will get the unwilling photographer to take the picture again.

I am now in the process of making View E of this pattern.

I am sure that I will get the pattern back but if not I will just buy a new one. This is a great pattern for summer blouses. I really enjoyed this one a great deal and when I get it back or buy a new one I will be making more.

Have a Great Night!

Still not happy with this dress.

2009-07-04T05:17:00.000-07:00

Auntie and Crazy Cousin made it to the airport and arrived in Chicago. I was relieved when I got the phone call because they worry me. Now they are on vacation for 14days and I have 14 days to get my car back on the road.

I did not take them to the airport my sister did. This enabled me to stay in bed until 12:30. I am so glad that the house was clean so I did not feel guilty being lazy.

Today the sewing room in clean enough to be messed up again. I got started on making some changes to the dress. I took the sides in 1 and ½ inches and redid the hem. It’s a little shorter but not really too short, I do not wear minis.

I searched for ribbon in my stash of trims to see if Betty’s suggestion would work. The ribbon trim would give it an Empire Waist look which you see a lot of this summer. So I guess I will give it a try.

I guess the real problem I had with the dress is that I did not like the way I felt when I had it on. I think that, Dresses should make you feel pretty. Suits should make you feel confident. I could not get a idea of how I felt with the dress on. Maybe It not the dress maybe I just don’t like it.

I googled “mood reflected in how you dress” and found this.

And this _

When I saw the print on the fabric that I used to make the dress I thought of the tropics. I wanted a dress that I could wear here and have people think I guess came back from a cruise. That’s not how I feel when I tried it on so it just went in the pile of UFO.

But now is completed and I will probably wear it tonight when hubby and I go to Red Lobster for dinner. I will take a picture and post it after dinner.

Have a great and dress beautifully.

I know I said this before but here I go again.

2009-06-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

Trying to have a child as I enter the age group of 50 is completely asinine! I just turned 46 this year. This is the main reason for not seeking meds to help with fertility. That is a lie! That is not my main reason for not seeking meds to help with fertility. The main reason is that I don’t want to be deemed infertile. I have never had children, I have never been pregnant. So I could just be a barren woman.

Yesterday a co-worker was telling my that her daughter felt the fluttering of her child. She is about 5 months along in her pregnancy . “ You know the fluttering feeling you feel when your pregnant.” She could tell my the blank expression on my face that I had not a clue. She then put her finger tips on my arm and lightly and quickly fluttered them. “ It feels like that .” I just nodded my head. She then changes the subject.

My belly has never grown as a child grows within and all my stretch marks are because I gained too much weight too quickly.

For me having a child meant having a husband. I married my husband when I was 40 I am now 46. My husband has a daughter she is 20. So I feel that he is not the problem. When I turned 42 we decided to try to have a child. It has been 3 1/2 years.

Since I turned 42 my cycle started playing tricks on me. Please realize that when I was in my 20’s and 30’s my cycle was regular and I was so in tune with the way my body worked I could tell what time my cycle was going to start. I felt healthy and my regular cycle was my indicator that I was healthy.

Now my cycles are irregular and I feel out of sorts most of the time. One doctor told me I was premenopausal which only made me sad because I felt I could not have a child because of this. Due to insurance changes I went to a new doctor who told me I was not premenopausal giving me hope again. But my cycles never became regular and at times I had to take Provera just to start the cycle up again.

It is really time to go back to the doctor get the blood work done to see where my FSH , LH, and prolactin levels are. If they are too high this could be a sign of menopause. I will have to make sure to include progesterone levels as well.

I guess the first step is to get to the doctor’s office.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS DRESS!

2009-06-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by this blog SEW MUCH FABRIC, SEW LITTLE TIME.

She is using her fabric stash to create a basic wardrobe. I just love all the T’s and skirts that she has made, so I have decided to work on doing the same.

But first (no I am not putting it off) I have to finish this dress that is making me angry.

I had a wonderful tropical print fabric which would have been the perfect summer dress. I kept the fabric for several summers and did nothing with it.

I finally decided the make a dress; unfortunately it was not a summer dress. Well it is a summer dress but its not the perfect summer dress.

I have decided to go back to not making decision when I am on my cycle. (ironic, huh!) Granted when you have not had a cycle for two months the PMS that usually sounds the warning bell is not so loud.

Never make decision to cut your hair(I'm wearing a wig her name is Oprah) or use perfect summer fabric on a non summer dress.

So my project is to redo this dress and create the perfect summer dress or at least as close to a summer dress as I can get it.

I have to do something to the sleeves and it should fit closer to the body.

I could just put the zipper in the front of it and make it a cover-up for a swimsuit.

Although when I look at it in this picture it’s not so bad.

Suggestions?

MERCY MERCY MERCY

2009-06-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

I just happen the find this while browsing through youtube. I thought I would find something to show how the storm affected us but I did not know I would find one done by a neighbor.

Of course now you know what city I live in.

What to do?

2009-06-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

I have consider shutting down this blog but as usual before giving up and I will give it one more try.

This will be the first of 30 days so see if i can blog for thirty day. Part of the problem is that I do not like to talk about me very much. I am a great listener and try to understand other problems and life situation and what they deal with but I never successfully share this information with other. So my blog suffers. I talk about work not really a major part of my life. I put in my hours and go home.

I talk about home but not extensively because I was taught home was like Vegas; what happens at home stays at home. I think Vegas got the slogan from my dad.

I have never been completely open with my thought feelings hopes and dreams. Even with my closest friend not completely. I have tried to think of the blog as an online journal and I used to write in my journal daily but even that did not get all my clearest thoughts. So what to do?

Should I blog about my lack of children and desire to have them. No really because I have resigned myself to the fact that I will never have children myself so I will have to adopt. Hubby is not on board with that so I will just borrow other family children and live like a mother for short periods of time.

Should I blog about my place of employment and any endeavor to advance. I really don't care enough. Back when I was working for the bank and going to school and trying to get ahead that is when it was a major concern for my so i talked about it a lot and it would have been a perfect time to blog about that.

Should I blog about my attempt at creating a fall line of clothing. I think this might work but when I get involved in what I am doing creatively I really do not talk about it I just do it. Also once I get started I should not stop because It is nearly impossible for me to keep the drive going. I perfer the highway or turnpike driving when I am creating and sewing not the stop and go driving of the city. When I was single this was easy to do I coud just ignore everyone and concentrate on what I was creating until it was done. And everyone knew just leave her alone. Hubby not so much. So I have to devise a way to work everyday and still make time for others, especially hubby.

Should I blog about my determination to get rid of unhealthy aspects of my life. Should I blog about my search for....... I don't know. What to do? What to do?

Nothing much to blog about.

2009-06-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

I know that I have not had anything to say in a while. Most of what I write is just rambling anyway so I am trying to change that aspect of this blog.

Since I rarely express myself well when talking to people you can guess that is even more difficult writing down what I want to say.

Right now I listen more than I talk.

Everyone seems to have some problem that they need to talk about and I guess that my calm exterior says talk to me. I am amaze that they do not notice the blank look on my face. Maybe what I think is a blank look that should say “ I don’t care.” Is a look that say “ and what happen after that? “ Oh well it is what it is.

I have focus in on my exercise and eating habits. But I don’t blog about that.

I have been taking pictures of different wall art wherever I happen to be. But I don’t blog about that.

I have been sewing but recently broke my sewing needle. But I don’t blog about that.

I have been sketching new clothing designs. But I don’t blog about that.

I plan to get some St. John Wort because I maybe I am a little depressed. But I don’t blog about that.

Today is the first day in 4 days that I actually turn on my computer. When I get home from work the first thing I do is turn on the computer. But I didn’t do that for 4 days.

Perhaps tomorrow I will have something to blog about.

I don't know

2009-05-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

I have been searching for my USB cord for days and still cannot find it. The one I did find does not fit my camera so I still have no pictures to share.

I was visited by the newlyweds, they are 20 years younger but we had a fun conversation just the same. Then One of them asked me why did I marry my hubby. I said "I don't know." she looked at me and laughed like I said something funny. The two of them had been talking non stop which was fine with me I was entertained but I did not have much to say and after a while I was ready to end the day with them. So when I was asked why I married Todd that I was my immediate response.

The reason I married Todd was because we clicked with days of meeting. I talked and he actually listen to what I said. We had a lot of similar interest that most men do not like in their females.

I love football, not so crazy about baseball or basketball. I love Nascar, I love all the old American made muscles cars and will watch the auction on SPEED TV. I interested in computers and programming but not enough to pursue more than reading a magazine. Most guys do not want to talk sports with females or shall I say most of the men I was meeting at the time. Todd thought all that was cool. I love action drama movies and occasionally a chick flick but I love all the comic book movies and action hero type stuff. and I will watch Sci Fi channel. Love all animation movies and Amine.

When talking to Todd it like talking to a friend who loved the same things that I love and we just clicked. If we had not gotten married we would have been the best of friends and people would have thought we were a couple anyway. Which would cause problems if either of us did get married to someone else and they were insecure. He became an hanging buddy overnight so Why not get married and live a happy life with your best friend.

Which is what I explained after I took the I don't know comment back.

Project completed.

2009-05-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

I started not to write this blog because I have no picture to show.

Well I have a picture but I cannot find my Cord to connect to the computer.

So I wore my completed pants and shirt to work today. It was very comfortable and one person said she really liked my shirt or blouse. That made me feel good.

I will have to make the pants longer next time. The lenght I have in this pair is a little shorter that I would like it.

Tonight I have gathered all the summer knit fabric. I will have lots of dresses and weekend wear by saturday.

Have a good night. Pictures tomorrow if I can find that cord.

I am going to get a beer!

2009-05-08T15:48:00.000-07:00

This is the weekend when I hide out! This way total strangers will not ask me " Are you a mother?" I have several responses to this depending on how I am feeling.

1. I just say no. They respond well it's never too late.

2. I say Maybe one day. To which they say " Well happy Future Mother's Day" I want to slap this person.

3. I have a step daughter. Some respond Oh and just walk away and others say Well you are a mother then.

4. This is a favorite response. " WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?" both hands are now fist and I am Glaring at them. They slowly back away.

I know this weekend I am staying in the house. So tonight I plan to go and get some WILD BLUE. A six pack will do.

I am hoping the sun is shining so i will sit on the porch and drink my blueberry beer.

If the sun is not shining I will drink beer while sewing. That is not a good combination.

Have a great weekend everyone.

New project.

2009-05-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

I have been so tired since we have moved to the new building. Since I am in front of people all day there is little to no downtime. It does make the time go so much faster but I lose track of time.

Saturday I laid out a pattern for dress pants for work. Butterick 3371
I choose this pattern because it was to be a after 5 look for whenever I go out to a high end resturant. That is not likely to happen anytime soon so I decided the pants would be great for work.

I am not committed to this because pants have always been a difficult fit. But I must get restarted sewing because if too much time laspes I will not be interested in sewing.

I will have to review my completed projects folder to see how many projects I have completed so far.

I found a tutorial for a pyrimad wristlet. I plan to make some changes in the measurements to get a little bigger pyrimad to make a purse for evening wear. Prom season is coming up and I think this would be a great item to sell. I should have had these done already.

At least I am headed in the right direction starting with the pants!

One of the little designer has some artwork on display at the childrens museum. I love art shows especially when my little desigers are a part of it. I will have pictures of this tomorrow.

Have a good night.

Walmart's Fabric is 50% off

2009-05-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

Friday when I got home from work. Hubby was not there my plan was for us to go to the movie Wolverine I know that's now the title but that what I call it.

I clean up the kitchen while I waited and just as I finished he came home. Wonderful timing right? No. He looked at me and stood for a minute then he said. " I know you had plans for the evening but I have worked all night and helped my dad all day I am exhausted so I am going to bed." The he walked down the hallway and went to our bedroom. After about 10 mnutes I heard him snoring.

There is no point going to the movie by myself because he wanted to see the movie. I am sure seeing the moving twice would be great after all we are taking about Hugh Jackman! but our budget could not handle such a simple indulgence. So I went to walmart instead. I needed some kitchen stuff any way.

Everytime I go to walmart I stop at the fabric department sometimes that have what I need. I need new window stuff. When I went to Betty house and I saw all the new stuff she did to her windows it reminded me of what I planned to do but did not do.
So new window sheers and windo scrafs are needed. Plus I hate the fabric I covered the sofa with.

To my suprise the fabric department was a little smaller and all the fabric was 50% off on a liquidation sale. They would no longer sell fabric and would have a party and craft department instead.

I need fabric for the windows ( measurements escape my mind ) I need fabric for the kitchen (curtains, table scraf, towels, potholders and towels)

So much fabric has gone already but I was determined not to go crazy. I got 4 yards of a peach sheer, 2 yards of a fabric for the scraves, 4 yards of a knit print that just screams summer dress 4 yards of black and yellow that would be a great panel skirt and 4 years of interfacing. $16.00! I am going back once I measure the windows if I do not have enough material.

Once all the fabric is gone the only place in Pittsburgh to get fabric will be JoAnn's.

Betty Looks Great!

2009-04-29T05:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Betty came for a visit and we had lunch! Which was so much fun to have my friend visiting. I had not seen her in a while!

After she left everyone told me" Betty looks great!" and She did look great but after the 5th time I was tired of hearing how great Betty looked!

She looked relaxed......She looked happy .......Her hair is beautiful.....She lost weight.......She looks great!

So Betty the next time you come and visit you will probably be promoted to supermodel status.

I wipe clean my memory card

2009-04-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

I took my camera to work on the day that we were moving. And of course when you move you alway find stuff that you dont want.

Well we found a flying roach. It was the biggest bug that I had ever seen personally. I took a picture of it and a picture of Jess who caught the thing and put it in a suction container.

I wanted to show this picture to all see but when I was trying to set up the timer on my camera to take a picture so I could include myself in it I wiped clean my memory card.

I really have to read more of the owners manual!

Today we were all moved in and the doctors ready to see patient. We only encountered a few problems like missing phones or if you had a phone and someone tried to call you extention it would ring in a totally different part of the hospital. Missing computers or computers not linked to the correct domain.

The exam room did not have baskets on the outside of the door for patient info so bins were place on the floor beside the door of the exam rooms for the doctors to get current patient information. Tacky!

Employees with attitude because of responsibility either being taken away from them or added to them without the effort of management taking time to explain what was going on.

Finally the answer that was given to every question that began with the question why?

"That is the way it is from this point forward"

I don't have a single picture of the mess the will soon smooth out to become normal life in larryville!

Moving day part 1

2009-04-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

Our office was closed today well the clinic was close but we still had office stuff to do as we attempted to pack for the great move.

Tomorrow I will have more to say and I will have pictures.

Have a great night everyone.

Headaches.....Pain pain go away!

2009-04-20T18:11:00.000-07:00

This morning was gray and rainy. I thought of what my sister and I would say looking out the picture window on a rainy day.

Rain rain go away, come back some other day. We want to go out an play. Rain rain go away.

The rain did not go away this morning and set the tone so that Today is one of those days. My headache today was purely due to stress. Our front desk person was by himself and when he was an hour behind checking patients in I go out to help him to find that one of the computer at the front desk was taken away! Part of the move to the new location this week. Since he was on the only computer at the front desk we, WC and me, had to then do the following go out into the waiting room, pick a name off the list, take them in the back to an office space and then check them in, bring them back to the waiting room so the nurse could then call the patient!

After an hour of doing this my head was pounding because the waiting room was packed full with crying, laughing, screaming kids. Parents giving kids snacks to keep them quiet ( this is a very ineffective method in a crowded waiting room ), telling them to play nice and warning them if they did that one more time no McDonald's! The room was warmer than usual and filled with the smells of cheese slices to someone cutting the cheese. ( Johnnie say excuse me. She just laughs as she does it again.)

Misplaced Doctors wandering in the clinic because their office were now in Larry ville and they were in Kids land. Office workers wondering how they were to pack up the whole clinic and clinic office in 2 days and unpack it all in one day and then deal with a full clinic with 3 doctors on Monday. Everyone one is on edge and 3 of us have headaches.

Then I think about Betty in her new job that she just loves! Headache pounds again.

Pain pain go away, never come back this way. I want to smile and enjoy the day Pain pain go away.

This too was unsuccessful!

Great Weekend to go out and play!

2009-04-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

Well the weather is beautiful the sun is shining bright and it warm enough to wear a spring time dress without a jacket.

I was stuck in today because I did not want to exacerbate an allergy battle that I am already dealing with. I really do not feel sick, there is no fever but my voice sounds like a frog, from coughing and sneezing and nasal drips. I am taking my allergy med and nasal spray and a throat spray for the sore throat but usually I get worst at the end of the day.

Around 4:00 Sweet Hubby insisted that I get out ever if it is just for a drive so we fill up the gas take and went for a drive down 22 we got as far as Blairsville before deciding to turn around. We did not stay strictly on 22 because every time we saw a sign advertising a new housing plan we drove through it. I did enjoy it of course I did not bring my camera so not pics to share.

Everyone have a great weekend and enjoy the sun!