Busy BEE weekend

I am picky about the purse I carry.  It has to have an inside zippered pocket and I like little pockets on the outside for my keys, phone, cords and it has to have a shoulder strap!  That's a must.  It also needs to be large enough to carry all the stuff I need and my tablet.  However, I don't want it so large that I load it down and make it too heavy for me to carry -which happens a lot!  So, needless to say, when I find a purse I like, I carry it for awhile.  I am not one of those that changes purses with every outfit I wear.  I have one purse and that is it.  My blue purse has served me well for the last year, but the hook that holds the strap to the purse has been coming undone for the last 3 months.  Not alot at first, but lately, ding, and it just falls off my shoulder.  So, it's time to get a new one.  (did I also say that most of my purses come from Target?   I am cheap that way)  So, off to Target to find a new one.  I go through the racks and nothing catches my eye.  I fix the hook and on to another day. week.  Well, no more.  I have to have a new one.  I trudge back to Target and . . . pick up a fairly cute purse, put it on my shoulder, no, not that one.  Next.  No.  Next.  There.  A cute natural linen with raspberry faux lizard straps and trim.  However, it doesn't have any outside pockets.  That is not good.  It's the only one that catches my eye and I have to have a new one NOW!!  So, home it goes.  (well, of course, it first goes into the basket and then I pay for it before I take it home, duh)  I transfer all my stuff and there isn't a pocket for the keys or for all the cords that go with the phones, tablet and i-pod.  I knew that, but I didn't want the ugly boxy purse and I know I can make what I want if I just would do it. 

After using it for a couple of days I decide that I have to have a little bag for the cords because every time I take something out of my purse, a cord is attached to it and comes out, too.  Sometimes with other items attached to the other end.  To the drawing board.  After making the first bag too tall and skinny, I made this little bag.  It currently has the cord for my traveling docker that I take with me quilting.  It's a cute bag, but not as cute as the little black and white and hot pink bag in my purse.  (sorry no picture at this time).   I think this is going to work - maybe - those ribbon ties might drive me crazy, too.  I will let you know.

At our workday Saturday with my Bee Friends group I worked on my chicken quilt.  I got the fabric made for the top border and then added some red fabric to set it.  Now I can't decide what else to add.  I don't think it's finished, yet.  I love him even though his right wing is flipped upside down.  I have thought about going in and fixing it, but it's not square and if I take it out I will create another problem. The bottom is behind the ironing board.  Sorry you guys get to see the boxes on the top and the mess on the ironing board.  However, I have rigged a wonderful place to hang a top I am working on.  You really can't see it very well, but I have a red yard stick that I have bulldog clipped my quilt top to and then I have set it on the top shelf of my storage shelves.  The top hangs down and covers up all the other boxes and I am able to figure out what else I need to add.  I do have a flannel wall, but it has a quilt top on it that I can't move yet.  So, this is my improvisation.  OOPS!  it's thundering here so I don't know how much longer before Taegan - my scardy dog - will hold out before I have to go downstairs and lay on the couch with him.  I guess I will type faster. 

I know I whined about making a table runner, thanks for listening by the way, but I have made the top part of one.  I know!!  I was totally shocked myself.  My friend, Gerrie, made one of those jelly roll quilts where you stitch the strips all together.  Then she put on some applique flowers and stems.  Gorgeous!  Then, at BEE, Saturday, my friend, Kathy, had some Moda candy bars she won and was asking about putting them together in that same fashion to make her table runner.  I think it's a great idea, but that isn't what I want to do for my table runner.  I don't know exactly what I am going to make, but not that.  Well, today, I was putting away some of the items I cleared off the cutting table yesterday morning in my attempt to avoid deciding what to work on at BEE - another story - and came across a piece that I made with the intention of cutting it up and creating blocks out of it for another quilt.  I looked at it and decided it needed a black border.  Then it needed some flowers.  I really like how this turned out so far - not quilted yet - and I may have to keep it for myself.   I just attached it on top of the chicken quilt so I could take a quick picture. I can't wait to quilt it. 

Alright, I know this has been a bit long, but I really worked on several items fast and furious this weekend so I wanted to share with you one last thing.  We have a door prize each month at our BEE.  If you win the prize for that month, it is your job to supply the prize for the next month.  We have been doing this for the last 3 or 4 years now.  We have also had the tradition - a bad one, in my opinion - to keep the same gift sack for the entire year.  Whoever wins in December, changes out the gift sack with a new one for the next year.  I don't know who started this or even why we do it, but we have done it this way for at least 3 years.  Well, this year, we have kept the same sack as last year.  We have had this sack for a year and a half!!!!!  It is time to retire the sack.  So, since I won this month, I told them that I was going to make a bag/sack that could be part of the gift or it could be passed around (over and over)  The deal will be, if you decide to keep the bag, you will have to make another bag to replace it.  If you don't want to make a bag, then this bag - or the bag your gift came in - has to move on to the next person.  I measured the current gift bag and this new one is the exact same size as the one we have been passing around for a year and a half.  Below are two pictures of the new bag. 



I really like it.  I have a few adjustments to make if I am going to make it again, but it works for my first try.  Okay, the dogs are all barking - even though I don't hear any more thundering.  gotta go sleep on the couch!! 

Let it Snow, Again

 You never know about the weather in west Texas.  A couple of days ago it was in the upper sixties/lower seventies and today - - - today we have another 6 - 8 inches of snow on the ground and more falling. 

This was taken about 15 minutes ago over my back fence.  You can't see the snow falling in this picture due to the angle of my camera. 

This picture - taken 25 minutes ago - is out my back window and you can see how hazy it looks with the snow coming down.  Little bitty snow flakes now.  The flakes  were big and fat on the way home from school. 

Yes, we did have school today, but unlike every other school district around us, we were there all day.  Most of my students weren't, but I was.  My largest class of the day (83% there) was this morning when there was only about an inch of snow on the ground and the roads were slushy.  I ended the day with only 28% of my class at school.  I had no students at all from one of the high schools.  (I teach students from two different high schools and they bus over during the day for my class).  When you live in the desert, anytime it gets really cold here, attendance drops.  Add in some snow (okay, a lot of snow today) and attendance is practically non-existent.  We just aren't used to this.  This has been our third major (more than 4 inches) snow storm in about one month.  We had a large one in early December where we got to stay home and have a snow day.   We had a beautiful white Christmas for the first time in about 18 years and now, another white day.  Like most of the students, I am hoping that our school district calls for a snow day tomorrow, but they don't make those decisions until about 4 o'clock in the morning.  So, I will  have to wait until tomorrow to know if I get to stay home and sew or not.  Oh, well, I will get up early to find out tomorrow.

Speaking of getting up early, I read until almost 1:30 this morning finishing a book and then the dogs woke me up at 2:30 barking.  My first thought, was great, they are out of water.  But, no, it had started raining and Taegan is afraid of thunder storms.  So, they all joined in to wake me up. (except Irish, who slept through the entire night.  Being deaf, has it's rewards)

Previous picture of Taegan sleeping on the floor

Now, it wasn't thundering, mind you, but Taegan knows that thunder and rain go together and so, when it starts to rain, he panics.  I got my phone, set the alarm clock, grabbed a quilt and layed down on the couch to snuggle with my scardy cat dog.  I also got McCallum and Fiona in the snuggling deal. 



Fiona and McCallum out in the snow today.  They would look at me and then I would start to take their picture and they would turn their heads. 

Once Teagan was comforted and had moved out of my arms to the other end of the couch, I went back to my bed - much more comfortable than a couch with three dogs laying on you.  However, the alarm went off really, really early and I am looking forward to an early night tonight and hoping for that snow day tomorrow where I can crawl back into bed and sleep for a couple extra hours. 

edit:  school just got cancelled for tomorrow!  This is unheard of for them to cancel this early (6:00 p.m.) but I guess too many parents had complained and we are expecting more snow overnight.  I am glad that I don't have to even set my alarm clock tonight.  Enjoy . . .



The New Year Begins and other things

Back at school for two days and already I can tell that it is going to be an "interesting" year.  I am going to hope for the best, but we will have to wait and see what this year holds.  I am looking forward to my classes and what I am teaching, it's just the higher ups that are causing a dislike. 

Last week, being the only week to have completely off for the summer - no outside work - I planned on sewing, sewing, sewing and I got very little done.  I took a nap almost everyday and was a lazy bum for the most part.  I had lots of dog and me appointments - grooming, vets, doctors, etc. and got the majority of them taken care of.  I have a few more on my calendar for this month and I think the dogs are taken care of for a bit.  I really needed to cut my 300 - 6 inch - squares for our exchange tomorrow night and I got 150 light squares cut and ready to go, but I have to cut my darks tonight.  That may or may not happen.  It is thundering outside and I think I have more than the usual one dog afraid of the storm.  I may have to go back downstairs and cuddle with a couple of them to reassure them that the storm is not going to get them. 

A couple of years ago, a major thunder and lightening storm settled over the top of my house.  Being two story it seemed that it may come through the roof at any time.  This was at 2 in the morning and Taegan, Irish and I were fast asleep.  Then BOOM! BOOM!  BOOM!!!!!  Taegan was up and on top of me so fast that I couldn't figure out what was going on.  I thought someone might have broken in and he was protecting me, but no, he wanted my protection from the storm.  He had never been scared of storms before, but that was a scary one for sure.  Ever since then, if it is thundering or there are fireworks or other loud noises going on outside, he comes running for his momma and either climbs in my lap or sits as close as he can get for my protection.  That one storm really scared him.  He was probably fast asleep at the time and it scared him awake.  So, tonight, he has the other dogs stirred up and every time the thunder booms - not very loudly, but still a boom - he starts barking and the others join in with him.   I think Irish is just telling them to be quiet, since he managed to sleep through that storm a couple of years ago. 

Tonight is the final competition night on So You Think You Can Dance and guess what?  Our Fox station is not working!  BOO!!!!  I was looking forward to watching them dance tonight.  I am hoping that I can watch it later tonight on the computer.  I may have to wait until tomorrow night.  : (  That show is one of my favorite shows to watch. 

Well, so much for my rambling on.  I did take a picture of one of the only things I got made last week.  It is part of a new quilt design.  I had originally planned on this being a two color quilt and I wanted to see what it would look like using scraps.  I also want to see if I could make this block without getting technical and writing out all the directions, sizes, etc.  Because if it didn't work, I didn't want to be out all that wasted time when my time last week was spent . . well, you know, you read all the way down to here, now didn't you.  I love a good nap.  I really like the way this turned out.  I can't wait to make the rest of the quilt or at least a baby quilt using scraps.  

I love it when a plan comes together

Ha, ha, I know, yesterday's blog posting was not fun (even though I got a chuckle out of it) So here, today, I am going to add - - wait for it - - pictures!!!!!!!!! I know, most of you thought I have forgotten how to download pictures or maybe I forgot how to take them. So, here, without further ado, is a picture:




Bazinga! (as Sheldon would say) I know, not what you wanted to see. even though he is beautiful, but a little bit blurry. that was taken with my new camera with a major zoom in and I need to learn how to hold still while I take a picture. On to more stuff you would rather see than my baby boy.

I am a bit on the excited side. Since my towels weren't delivered and I still don't have hot water, I had my class go through the kitchen today and find out exactly what type of tools we had. We found the rubber scrapers, but they are in poor shape. Don't know what they did with them, but I will be looking to purchase more of those in the near future. After about 6 phone calls, I finally have towels to begin tomorrows cleaning. However, I still do not have hot water, so we won't be doing a thorough clean. Here are a couple of pictures of my kitchen at school.



The stoves/ovens in the top picture sit back to back with the stove/ovens in the bottom picture. It is really quite large! In the bottom picture you can see a wooden top table that is part of the pastry center. Then in the back are a shelf of spices. In front of the spices are a couple of long prep tables. It really is a great set up. I would like a prep sink that is separate, but am lucky enough to have use of one in the other room that used to be the schools cafeteria. Since we are just an annex type school where all the students are bused in from their respective high schools, we don't require a cafeteria. Yea for me that they left an octopus, a large dishwasher and the sinks when they removed the majority of the kitchen at the end of the year. There may be a deep fryer and an ice machine in there also. Oh, yes, the best part is a walk in refrigerator and freezer. Even with all the struggles I am having I asked myself if I would have taken this job knowing everything I do now and I said yes, so I guess I will put up with everything this year and make it a perfect place next year.

Another thing I am excited about is that the paint purchase order finally went through and my maintenance man started painting this afternoon. He taped everything off this morning and was cutting in the bottom half of the wall when I left. I think he will have all the bottom part done by tonight. Can't wait to get back to school and see what he has done. The bad part is that it has been really humid here and I don't know if it will dry enough for him to do the large "chair rail" done before I leave school on Friday.

here is picture of the room's old colors. I wish I had taken pictures of the whole room before I took down the "lovely" decor. The wicker cornucopias stuffed with some greenery and hanging haphazardly were my favorites.




Below is a picture of my samples I painted on the wall of the colors I chose. The top is called key lime pie. (I know, sooooo me) then the bottom is twilight meadow. There will be a faux chair rail of brown velvet that will be a cinder block width since that was the easiest for the painter and I think it will balance nicely. That gold frame thing hanging on the wall in the picture above will be painted the chocolate brown, also. There are two other ones that are not that large that hang on another wall. I also have a nice raspberry color that I am going to use for some accents and canvases.



Now if I can just come up with a new name. I will be all set.