Summer Projects

In the heat of the summer (though the temps haven't been too bad here in West Virginia) is the time I always end up starting and hopefully finishing all my big projects. Painting, staining, refinishing furniture...
This summer is no exception. I have 2 bedroom doors that are in serious need of some paint! Trim that will need painted if it ever gets mounted to the kitchen walls. :(

I've started the staining process for 3 thresholds. This is one of the doorways in question...
This is one of the pieces I finished staining!!!
(It still needs a few more coats of polyurethane.)

Actually the one was finished last summer, but never put down in the doorway... I really need to figure this carpentry shit out if I want this house to ever be finished. Since I already did the 1st one last year I now have to mix the stains to match it up to the original. You would think I would have written the recipe down or saved some from last year-- but you would then be wrong. I had no thoughts of doing the next 2. I was so excited with thoughts of the 1st one being put on the floor, I seriously blocked out the fact that there would be 2 more. Well now I am working on the next 2 and the 1st hasn't even been put where it should be |:(
Maybe he was waiting so he could swear at them all together. ;)

On a slightly happier and much less whiney note I am working on the new "bonnet" for Paula and I think it is turning out nicely!!! Just a few more rows of shells and it should be complete. Maybe I'll take it out on the porch swing tonight and finish it up whilst listening to some Siouxsie & the Banshees...

PS
Check out that cute ass airbrushing on my thumb
Thanks to Steph the owner of Dazzlin' Dezignz in East Liverpool, Ohio.
She doesn't have a website :( but is opening a new shop!!!!
She gives me a fab set of nails every 2 weeks and these are one of my favorites!!

Cotton Bonnet

I was asked by a good friend (who is a knitter) to make her mom a crocheted chemo cap. It didn't have a complete pattern, but I contacted the girl who originally made it and she offered her help.

I finished it the same day I started. :)
ehem, the only problem is that I made it about a zillion sizes too small. It is like a toddler sized hat. I have several friends and cousins who have young daighters that I can gift it to... but I can't believe I finished the damned thing before I realized it was too small. :(

On a much happier note I bought these fabulous hanging baskets at a flea market close to us a couple weeks ago and just remembered to photograph them... the best part was that they were ONLY $10 EACH!!!!
I know what a fantastic price for such huge and lush baskets!!

Ohhh and in the 1st picture you can just see my hubbies kool-aid colored truck in the bottom left corner... how funny is that.

I got tagged

The Rules: Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answers.

What was I doing ten years ago? Taking care of a 2 year old... hmmm so glad she is 12 now!!!

What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today?
1. Finish Mary's Mom's hat
2. bath Peanut
3. have kids clean their rooms
4. finish up the laundry
5. snuggle with the hubby... he just started day shift

Five snacks I enjoy:
1. Honey wheat Pretzel rods
2. frozen grapes
3. Ice cream
4. fruit & nut snack mix
5. caramel rice cakes

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
buy a bigger house, buy my sister a house, send my kids to the best college, share with my fam & friends

Places I've lived most recent first:
Chester, WV
Jacksonville, NC
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii
East Liverpool, OH
Salem, OH


Jobs I've had:
Mommy
Wife
Bank Teller
Cashier

Tip Toeing Thru the Tulips

I've started a new project... because I lost my 'c' hook that I was using on the babette. :( I have 3 of every hook but this particular one, so until I find it or get to the store I have started a new pattern.

It's a book I've had for several years ( A Crocheter's Garden of Afghans) and I think this will be the 1st pattern I've made out of it. It's called 'Teatime Tulips'.


I messed up the ends of this first strip, but didn't realize it until the 4th round was complete. I am not willing to frog it and start over so maybe nobody will notice. :( I was considering making it for me to use on the porch swing, but hadn't decided for sure until I realized my mistake. If i had someone in mind for this particular project I could redo the mistake on each one-- but it was actually harder to screw it up!!! This is the 1st time I've used Lion Brand® Homespun® Yarn
and I must say it isn't what I expected. I love the feel of it, but the cut ends are so much more wispy than I imagined and it splits so easily! I think when I am finished it will be cozy, but I'm glad I got it on sale. (3 for the price of 1!!!)

harumph

My shower looks like the body wash department in any given chain store. Each member of my family prefers a different soap/body wash

• axe for the son
• irish spring for the hubby
• right now I'm a fan of

  philosophy will power 3-in-1 shower gel

• my daughter has been in love with Hello Sugar

...and the kids use different shampoo than I do too!!!!

Recently it would seem my daughter and I are in some kind of a contest to see who can stockpile more bottles on the built in shelves of the shower stall...

Today I decided to try out the Strawberry Puree I bought for a ridiculous price at The Body Shop in the airport while I waited for my flight a few weeks ago. It was a cute kit that had 3 small body washes, 1 small lotion, some vitamin e, a urine sample size bottle of white musk and some other stuff I don't remember. Mostly I loved the pink foil bag it all came in and I was buying a mascara and just happened to spend enough to get the whole kit and caboodle for like $5!! :)

I'm a sap when it comes to spend-'x'-amount-to-get-this-wonderful-sample-bag-of- a-bunch-of-crap-you'll-never-use-for-the-low-low-price-of-'x'-amount-of-$$...

So tonight I decide to start using up one of these small bottles that are floating around the shower. The shower gel smelled yummy. Not exactly, but a lot like strawberry puree as advertised. The strawberry puree lotion on the other hand, ugh :(( smells just like play-dough on my skin. Blyuck, kuck, gross. I smell like warm mushy dough... I will not be using this again!

I often have the problem that most scents smell wonderously delicious in the bottle, but sadly stink like a musty old basement on me :( It really saddens me to no end when I am in Bath & Body sniffing until my sniffer just will not work. For the past 16-17 years I have been wearing the same old stuff.
It smells good, so everyone tells me... but sometimes I just want a change and have very little choice since my body rejects all yummy smells. :(
The one thing I have tried recently that actually smelled on me just like it did in the bottle is this.
Sadly it is discontinued I think... It makes you sparkle and it smells just like a raspberry/vanilla/sugar. ;)

My Sweet Escape continued

Here's my Babette as of May 26th... I now have parts 1-5 joined together! It is slightly wonky and I know now I should have blocked it, but am not willing to take it apart to do so now...

I'm pretty happy with the way it is turning out. I hate to have to sew anything together and if this were any other project I would have waited until I had all the squares finished first. My excitement to see this project finished- and to actually use it *blushing* is greater than my hatred for joining! I think I may do an acrylic version of this blanket also... I have some left over yarn from my Americana Afghan. I have been saying I need another small blankie for the couch b/c I hate sharing mine. ; ) Maybe this would be a cute counterpart to the other.

My Babette Blanket

I just joined parts 1,2 & 3. I’m not sure how they look. On one hand I am proud of myself for getting this far, on the other I’m thinking I maybe should have tried blocking the squares. I was thinking the cotton would probably just go back to whatever it was prior to blocking after the first wash so I didn’t ‘waste’ my time trying it out. A little too late now b/c I am NOT frogging and rejoining. It’s a learning experience and the afghan is for me so no biggy. I still love it and can't stop working on it.