Bridal Coffee Cup Sleeve

It's like I can't stop sewing paper coffee cup sleeves.  This one is on a McDonalds smoothie cup.

The embroidery was an after thought because it looked kind of plain.  The design was supposed to be straight down, but it appears that I can't embroider in a straight line.  So what do you do?  You make a design, that's what!  Then there was still a big blank space,  hence the leaf.  White floss would have looked more elegant, don't you think?

Who is the lucky bride who will be the recipient of my late night hair-brained idea?  Oh that poor lucky soul.

I might do a tutorial on how to make this.  Or a simpler version.  How long of a tutorial are people willing to read?

Me reading tutorials, "Ohhh, this is interesting.  I could do this, OK, this is kind of long....forget it."  It's not the bloggers fault, I mean - some things just take that many steps.  I just have to really really really like it to want to make something from a long tutorial.

OK, short tutorial coming soon.  Step one...first go and buy yourself a cup of coffee....

Pretty in Pink

I'm not one of those frilly frilly foo foo girls, but lately me and my mean machine have been making some pretty girly things.

Purse pattern HERE (free!)
Crochet edging HERE

In the purse lining I made two pockets, one for my lip balm and one for my phone.  I think I might make another purse, just because.  It's a great project for scraps.  So is the to-go cup sleeve.  I made three sleeves today.

TV Stand

Well, even though there were hiccups in my project plans last week, I did manage to get one thing completed.

This wasn't a life altering project, but we had all the materials, so it was free.  Oh, wait, I did buy pegs for the inside shelf to sit on, but they were a couple of bucks.

This TV is fairly new, and I wasn't pleased with how everything fit in this cubby.

So, starting with a pencil and paper, I drew out what I needed, and included the measurements.  Then went to the garage to cut the pieces.

I used to be scared to death of the saw.  Then I watched Ana White's video, and felt like it might be do-able.  I measure, and clamp like crazy so that I can concentrate, go slow, and use two hands with the saw.  I don't have to worry about the boards shifting on me, and I know it will be a nice clean cut.  I also use safety glasses and ear plugs.  The key is take your time and go slow.

You can make cookies in a hurry, vacuum the house like your hair's on fire, but when it comes to using the saw, make sure you have lots of time.  You get faster at it, but at least you learn to do it safely.

It's not over the top wow, but it is custom made for that space.  The VCR sits on the bottom, and there is another shelf where the keyboard and remotes sit.  It just makes for a tidier area.  

Side note:  I made this shelf in 5 minute increments, because I didn't have one large chunk of time to dedicate to it.  I'm learning that this method can be more useful than waiting until the planets align.  I kept waiting for the perfect day to work on it, and when weeks went by I figured that a little at a time was better than nothing.  

Headache in a Drawer

Every time I opened my spice drawer, this is what I had to dig through:

At Dollarama you can get these little jars $2.00 for three.  Print off some label stickers and bang, you have a new spice drawer.  My drawer is pretty empty because most of my spices were old, it was time to throw them out!  Some were over 10 years old...ike!

On the bottom (middle photo) I put on a small sticker where I could write the expiry date.

 
It's been a crummy week for projects.  I broke a tile saw that I borrowed.  The knitting needles I ordered didn't get delivered on time (still waiting) because the shipper didn't put the house numbers on the package.

Yesterday we went to Michaels, which is a good 40 minutes one way.  When we got home we opened the bag only to see that the cashier forgot to put in the bag the one thing we initially went for.

Look out, I'm anticipating next week to be much more productive!

Monster Bird

The turkey didn't even fit sideways in the roaster pan- I found out at 5:30 this morning, so  I improvised.  This is a larger than normal cookie sheet.  I'm not sure the tin foil is actually serving a purpose.

Yesterday the grocery store had fresh turkeys on for $1.00/ Kilo (2.20lbs).  There were only monster birds left.  I think that they were left over from Easter.

Yes, this bird is upside down.  I always cook it for a few hours first with the breast down, it seems to keep the white meat from being so dry.  Then I flip it for another few hours.  To flip it,  put on rubber gloves, the kind that you use for washing dishes, pick it up by the butt and the neck, and turn it over.  If anyone else has a better way to turn it over, I'm all ears.

The skin gets browned and seals in the juices.

While I was up at that retarded hour,  I made pasta salad.  A taste test was part of the photography, and it's a keeper recipe!  This recipe can be found HERE.

Caffeine got the boot about a month ago, and I do feel better for it.  Today I may fall off that wagon.

{peace}

O grave, where is your victory?

It was a dark Good Friday service this morning.  There was nothing joyful about the day Jesus died.  

Death has placed more than one marker on our day.  Former Alberta Premier Ralph Klein died today.  A few minutes later we learned that a dear friend and neighbour was in the hospital.  All we knew was that it was sudden, and it was serious.  The details were sketchy, and we prayed.  About an hour later we learned that her heart stopped and couldn't be restarted.  

I had been looking forward to a joyful Easter Sunday service, but our sister was well loved by the brethren.  She was a joyful light and hearts will be heavy for her mate that she left behind.  They had been married for over 50 years.  

And again I am reminded how fragile life is. 

"But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." I Corinthians 15:57

Before and After Bedroom

Here is the before photo of the spare room.  It wasn't completely ugly, but I didn't love it.

BEFORE

I really wanted a peaceful calming room for guests to stay in.  The picture above the bed in the before photo was hung with those velcro sticky things, and I was always scared that it would come crashing down on someone in the night.  The lamp was a second hand store buy, but even after I spray painted it, it was still kind of ugly and crooked.  The room  was just so brown and I didn't really know what else to do to it to make it better.  So I did a complete re-haul.  And please don't ask me where I got the duvet cover from, because I can't remember!

Here's the after photo:

AFTER

Click on the links to see the posts for the following DIY projects in this room:

Mosaic serving tray

Starfish wall hooks

Seaside painting

The headboard

Where would I be if I didn't have other projects on the go?  Hoping to tile the top of my coffee table today.  This will be the first time I've ever used tile.  The coffee table was free, so a good project to start with.  

I also started a sweater.  I'm not holding my breath on this one.  I'm not the worlds greatest knitter, but I keep coming back to it like a fly to fly paper.  

{peace}