Ahhhhhhh....much nicer now.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Aloha!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Quick 'n Easy Jeans Pocket Organizer
Obviously, I have no shame. Yesterday, I showed you huge unruly piles of plastic grocery bags and today, a very old paper envelope stuffed with bonus cards, receipts, insurance cards, appointment cards and several keys tossed in for good luck. It is held onto the refrigerator by a couple of very old magnets. Sometimes I fail to recognize how ugly things are until I make a conscious effort to see it.
Ahhhhhhh....much nicer now.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Aloha!
Ahhhhhhh....much nicer now.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Aloha!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Grandmother's Apron Carryall
**See the bottom of this post for a short tutorial on how to "football fold" a grocery bag. This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**
I like to reuse the plastic grocery bags that I get from the supermarket. There are times that I have so many that I end up with terrible storage issues. Years ago I had them stuffed into a couple of tubular fabric grocery bag holders until they both broke. I never really liked those holders because they do nothing to reduce bulk. Since then, I have been stuffing them into other grocery bags as you can see in the photo below. This method is the absolute worst and is extremely bulky.
Yesterday, I decided to try and fold the bags into the smallest, flattest pieces possible. After fiddling around a bit, I resorted to the only fold that I know that is compact and stays together without coming undone.
My hubby played finger football as a child and he taught us this fold. He would take a strip of paper and fold it into a "football" and play a game of finger football with his friends. This game also kept our son entertained for hours when he was a little boy.
I spent some time in front of the television folding these bags into little triangles and tossed them into a laundry basket for the time being. When my son returned home from classes, the first thing that he said when he saw them was, "Footballs! What are you going to do with all those footballs?" I had to laugh because he's 21 years old now and he still recognizes these triangles as footballs.
There are ninety-seven plastic grocery bags in this pile. As you can see, this has tremendously reduced the bulk.
Of course, once I had these folded and reduced in size, I had to come up with a suitable storage container that would be non-bulky and allow us easy access at the same time. As you can see, my grocery bag holder is modeled after a peg or clothespin bag. I am calling this design, Grandmother's Apron, just because it reminds me of one.
All ninety-seven "footballs" fit nicely in the Grandmother's Apron Carryall with room to spare. Mission accomplished!!
On another note...Mousie sends smoochies to all of his Aunties that sent him virtual hugs and kisses! He's feeling much better today and will soon be back to his favorite activities like hiding in cardboard boxes and shredding them to bits and pieces!
I would like to thank you all for your wonderful comments and emails of caring and support. You have all been so kind and it has meant the world to me that you care. We're hoping that it is what we all suspected, constipation! My heartfelt thanks goes out to you all!
Have a happy day, everyone!
Aloha!
TUTORIAL--HOW TO "FOOTBALL FOLD" A GROCERY BAG.
Neatly flatten your grocery bag.
Fold in half lengthwise.
Fold in half again.
Start at the bottom end of the bag. Fold up one corner. If the folded portion looks like a triangle, you're on the right track.
Continue folding...
...until you've reached the handle.
Fold the handle in half. It may require more than 1 fold depending on the length of the handle. The handle should end up being about an inch long.
Fold up one corner (the side that is slanted).
Tuck the handle into the opening in the triangle.
Flatten with your hand. All done!!
Happy Recycling!
I like to reuse the plastic grocery bags that I get from the supermarket. There are times that I have so many that I end up with terrible storage issues. Years ago I had them stuffed into a couple of tubular fabric grocery bag holders until they both broke. I never really liked those holders because they do nothing to reduce bulk. Since then, I have been stuffing them into other grocery bags as you can see in the photo below. This method is the absolute worst and is extremely bulky.
Yesterday, I decided to try and fold the bags into the smallest, flattest pieces possible. After fiddling around a bit, I resorted to the only fold that I know that is compact and stays together without coming undone.
My hubby played finger football as a child and he taught us this fold. He would take a strip of paper and fold it into a "football" and play a game of finger football with his friends. This game also kept our son entertained for hours when he was a little boy.
I spent some time in front of the television folding these bags into little triangles and tossed them into a laundry basket for the time being. When my son returned home from classes, the first thing that he said when he saw them was, "Footballs! What are you going to do with all those footballs?" I had to laugh because he's 21 years old now and he still recognizes these triangles as footballs.
There are ninety-seven plastic grocery bags in this pile. As you can see, this has tremendously reduced the bulk.
Of course, once I had these folded and reduced in size, I had to come up with a suitable storage container that would be non-bulky and allow us easy access at the same time. As you can see, my grocery bag holder is modeled after a peg or clothespin bag. I am calling this design, Grandmother's Apron, just because it reminds me of one.
All ninety-seven "footballs" fit nicely in the Grandmother's Apron Carryall with room to spare. Mission accomplished!!
On another note...Mousie sends smoochies to all of his Aunties that sent him virtual hugs and kisses! He's feeling much better today and will soon be back to his favorite activities like hiding in cardboard boxes and shredding them to bits and pieces!
I would like to thank you all for your wonderful comments and emails of caring and support. You have all been so kind and it has meant the world to me that you care. We're hoping that it is what we all suspected, constipation! My heartfelt thanks goes out to you all!
Have a happy day, everyone!
Aloha!
TUTORIAL--HOW TO "FOOTBALL FOLD" A GROCERY BAG.
Neatly flatten your grocery bag.
Fold in half lengthwise.
Fold in half again.
Start at the bottom end of the bag. Fold up one corner. If the folded portion looks like a triangle, you're on the right track.
Continue folding...
...until you've reached the handle.
Fold the handle in half. It may require more than 1 fold depending on the length of the handle. The handle should end up being about an inch long.
Fold up one corner (the side that is slanted).
Tuck the handle into the opening in the triangle.
Flatten with your hand. All done!!
Happy Recycling!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Weight-Loss Challenge Check-In
Oh, what a day! I'll touch on it a bit at the end of this post.
Today is weight-loss check-in day. I should start by saying that I gained 1-1/2 pounds while I was in Washington DC. I didn't limit myself and ate anything that I wanted to knowing that I would have to face the music when I got home. Well, I've since lost one pound, with a half of a pound to go to get back to where I left off prior to going on vacation. I already told you in my first post that I am a yo-yo dieter and I am true to my words! *hangs head in shame*
Today's recipe is called Mexican Burgers
Avocado, diced
1/3-1/2 cup of salsa
cilantro, a couple of teaspoons or so
chicken breasts
Monterey jack cheese w/jalapeno peppers
hamburger buns or rolls, split and toasted
romaine lettuce
salt/pepper
Combine avocado, salsa and cilantro and set aside. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Grill or broil chicken until no longer pink in center.
Before removing chicken from the grill, place a slice of cheese on top until slightly melted. Place lettuce onto the bottom of the rolls, top with chicken and avocado mixture. Serve.
Now onto the subject that I first made mention of. Let me warn you, if you are squeamish about bodily functions, read no further. Remember, you've been warned!
Today has been a stinky day. In fact, this past weekend was stinky too. I'm tired from the stress of worrying about my cat, Mouse. The poor dear was suffering from constipation. At least that is what we are hoping it was and nothing more serious. He's been growling since late Friday and we believe it's because he's had a tummy ache. He'd make his way to his litter box, try for several moments without much success. Mousie hasn't been drinking enough water and hasn't been eating as much as he usually does. I guess when you're constipated, you just don't feel like it. I called the Vet and he placed Mouse on a laxative in hopes that it would take care of the problem. Nothing budged. The Vet asked me to bring Mouse in today for an enema. That did nothing. He then had to resort to a manual extraction and was able to remove 4-5 inches of compacted "stuff". Then another enema. The enema did nothing again. I have him home now and I have to keep my eye on him and continue giving him the laxative for a couple more days. I'm hoping for the best. At least he's stopped growling for the time being.
Anyway, sorry for the long story. It's only a little after 5:30pm and I'm exhausted and ready for bed. I'm hoping for a better day tomorrow.
Aloha!
Today is weight-loss check-in day. I should start by saying that I gained 1-1/2 pounds while I was in Washington DC. I didn't limit myself and ate anything that I wanted to knowing that I would have to face the music when I got home. Well, I've since lost one pound, with a half of a pound to go to get back to where I left off prior to going on vacation. I already told you in my first post that I am a yo-yo dieter and I am true to my words! *hangs head in shame*
Today's recipe is called Mexican Burgers
Avocado, diced
1/3-1/2 cup of salsa
cilantro, a couple of teaspoons or so
chicken breasts
Monterey jack cheese w/jalapeno peppers
hamburger buns or rolls, split and toasted
romaine lettuce
salt/pepper
Combine avocado, salsa and cilantro and set aside. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Grill or broil chicken until no longer pink in center.
Before removing chicken from the grill, place a slice of cheese on top until slightly melted. Place lettuce onto the bottom of the rolls, top with chicken and avocado mixture. Serve.
Now onto the subject that I first made mention of. Let me warn you, if you are squeamish about bodily functions, read no further. Remember, you've been warned!
Today has been a stinky day. In fact, this past weekend was stinky too. I'm tired from the stress of worrying about my cat, Mouse. The poor dear was suffering from constipation. At least that is what we are hoping it was and nothing more serious. He's been growling since late Friday and we believe it's because he's had a tummy ache. He'd make his way to his litter box, try for several moments without much success. Mousie hasn't been drinking enough water and hasn't been eating as much as he usually does. I guess when you're constipated, you just don't feel like it. I called the Vet and he placed Mouse on a laxative in hopes that it would take care of the problem. Nothing budged. The Vet asked me to bring Mouse in today for an enema. That did nothing. He then had to resort to a manual extraction and was able to remove 4-5 inches of compacted "stuff". Then another enema. The enema did nothing again. I have him home now and I have to keep my eye on him and continue giving him the laxative for a couple more days. I'm hoping for the best. At least he's stopped growling for the time being.
Anyway, sorry for the long story. It's only a little after 5:30pm and I'm exhausted and ready for bed. I'm hoping for a better day tomorrow.
Aloha!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Old Patterns
Tattered and dog-eared, and not having seen the light of day in over 10 years. These are some of the first handbag patterns that I created. Even though they don't look like much, don't let this rickety old pile of paper fool you. There are some interesting and unique handbags that can be made from these if only I can remember how to put each one together!!!
You see, after reviewing the pattern pieces, I see that I neglected to jot down sufficient assembly instructions. I must have assumed that I would always remember how to make these. Evidently I didn't take into account old age and memory loss. I noticed that my scribbles indicate that many of these patterns date back to 1996. Ha! I don't even remember what I did last week, how am I ever going to remember what I did over a decade ago!?!?
Unfortunately, I'm going to have to attempt these on memory alone and I can see that this is going to be a long process.
Wish me luck. I think I'm going to need it.
Aloha!
You see, after reviewing the pattern pieces, I see that I neglected to jot down sufficient assembly instructions. I must have assumed that I would always remember how to make these. Evidently I didn't take into account old age and memory loss. I noticed that my scribbles indicate that many of these patterns date back to 1996. Ha! I don't even remember what I did last week, how am I ever going to remember what I did over a decade ago!?!?
Unfortunately, I'm going to have to attempt these on memory alone and I can see that this is going to be a long process.
Wish me luck. I think I'm going to need it.
Aloha!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Lollipops and Posies Tote
I persevered and continued working on the handbag even though I thought that it was a lost cause. I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised at how well it turned out and at how much I actually like it. I thought about naming it the Boneyard Bag (read my previous post) but decided on Lollipops and Posies Tote instead. That's much nicer, don't you agree? LOL
The tote measures 10-1/2-inches tall by 16-inches wide with a handle drop of 12-inches. I was a little bit concerned about the floral and denim combination but now I think that it looks rather shabby chic.
The denim used in this tote is from a recycled pair of blue jeans. I prefer to work with well worn and well washed blue jeans as new, fresh-off-the-bolt denim, bleeds like crazy.
I feel great that it wasn't a bust after all.
Have a fabulous weekend, everyone.
Aloha!
The tote measures 10-1/2-inches tall by 16-inches wide with a handle drop of 12-inches. I was a little bit concerned about the floral and denim combination but now I think that it looks rather shabby chic.
The denim used in this tote is from a recycled pair of blue jeans. I prefer to work with well worn and well washed blue jeans as new, fresh-off-the-bolt denim, bleeds like crazy.
I feel great that it wasn't a bust after all.
Have a fabulous weekend, everyone.
Aloha!
Tra la la la la, off to the boneyard we go.....
Do you remember Samantha from that silly 60's comedy show, Bewitched? A twitch of her nose would instantaneously make things happen for her. Well, I could sure use her powers at the moment.
I've been daydreaming for many months about new handbag designs. Ideas have been scribbled onto sheets of paper just waiting for their execution.
As anyone who is a "maker of things" can attest to, drawing something out and then actually making them are two different things. It can take quite a bit of time from the beginning of a design to it's completion. Measurements can sometimes be off. More times than not, it will often need a nip and a tuck somewhere. Sometimes it is scrapped altogether because things just don't turn out the way you had envisioned them. And sometimes they turn out just darn right hideous.
I don't know if you are familiar with the word, boneyard. It is an expression often used for a place where a large grouping of old and unused items sit, just one step away from making it to the junkyard. Well, after years and years of creating, I have accumulated quite a boneyard of my own. Many items labeled with the title, "What Was I Thinking?" sit in large plastic bags waiting to be recycled into something usable.
This brings me to the reason behind this post. I've had this idea in mind for quite a while and last night I finally decided to give it a go. It looked wonderful on paper, but now that I have transferred it to fabric, I'm not so sure. This is looking more and more like yet another item which will find it's way to the boneyard.
I've decided to set this aside for a bit while I ponder it's outcome. Maybe I can turn it into something else.
Where is Samantha when you need her?!?!
Have a nice day, everyone.
Aloha!
I've been daydreaming for many months about new handbag designs. Ideas have been scribbled onto sheets of paper just waiting for their execution.
As anyone who is a "maker of things" can attest to, drawing something out and then actually making them are two different things. It can take quite a bit of time from the beginning of a design to it's completion. Measurements can sometimes be off. More times than not, it will often need a nip and a tuck somewhere. Sometimes it is scrapped altogether because things just don't turn out the way you had envisioned them. And sometimes they turn out just darn right hideous.
I don't know if you are familiar with the word, boneyard. It is an expression often used for a place where a large grouping of old and unused items sit, just one step away from making it to the junkyard. Well, after years and years of creating, I have accumulated quite a boneyard of my own. Many items labeled with the title, "What Was I Thinking?" sit in large plastic bags waiting to be recycled into something usable.
This brings me to the reason behind this post. I've had this idea in mind for quite a while and last night I finally decided to give it a go. It looked wonderful on paper, but now that I have transferred it to fabric, I'm not so sure. This is looking more and more like yet another item which will find it's way to the boneyard.
I've decided to set this aside for a bit while I ponder it's outcome. Maybe I can turn it into something else.
Where is Samantha when you need her?!?!
Have a nice day, everyone.
Aloha!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tutorial--Ruffled Flower Money Bouquet
**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**
Are you looking for a creative way to give a gift of money? A money bouquet may be your answer. This tutorial will show you a very quick and easy way to create a bouquet of flowers in no time. To simplify gift giving, keep a bunch of these flowers stored flat in a box. They will be ready and waiting when the need arises.
For this project, you will need a pen for tracing, cardboard for pattern, 2 contrasting fabrics, needle and thread, skewer, ribbon, a straight edged and scalloped edged scissor, buttons, hot glue gun, and paper money.
From cardboard, cut 3 circles: 5-1/2", 3", 1-1/2" These will become your pattern pieces.
Trace the 5-1/2" circle onto each of the two fabrics.
Center the 3" circle onto each of the 5-1/2" circles and trace.
Center the 1-1/2" circle onto each of the 3" circles and trace.
This is what you will end up with on each piece of fabric.
With your scalloped edge scissor, cut around the 5-1/2" circle, just inside the traced line.
With a straight edged scissor, cut out the 3" circle.
Cut the outside edge of the 3" circle using your scalloped edged scissor.
With your straight edged scissor, cut out the 1-1/2" circle. Discard or save the 1-1/2" circle for another project (perfect for a small yo-yo).
This is what all 4 pieces should look like. Each one will have a scalloped outer edge and a straight inner edge.
With needle and thread, take a running stitch around the straight edge of each circle. Pull thread to gather and tie off with a knot. Repeat this step until you have all 4 circles sewn and gathered in the same manner.
To assemble, place the large gathered piece onto a flat surface, right side facing up. Add the small contrasting gathered piece, also with the right side facing up. Top with a contrasting button. Sew together using needle and thread (You may also prefer to glue the components together). Repeat this step for the other side of the flower.
Gather the components together. Please note that I have also wrapped the skewer with brown ribbon. The completed flower looks just as nice without the ribbon if you should decided to skip this step.
With your hot glue gun, glue the skewer to the back of one side of the flower.
Add another dab of hot glue onto the skewer and top with the other side of the flower. Here is a side view of the completed flower.
Tie the paper money (acordian fold the center) to the stem using ribbon. In this picture, I have folded the dollar bill in half to see what it would look like. It is a bit smaller but it still works.
*Please note that you will end up with a slightly different look to each side of the flower. This will give your money bouquet much more interest and contrast.
If you don't want to make this into a money bouquet, a fabric flower leaf can be added instead. This would make a cute addition to a little girl's bedroom decor.
I can also envision small gift items tied to the stem for other occasions. How about attaching a gift card for coffee and handing it out to your coworkers for Christmas or maybe other small gift items tied to the stems as a shower gift.
As a small graduation token, a flower made in school colors can be handed out to classmates. Or a whole bouquet in school colors would be a fabulous graduation gift for that special graduate (with money attached, of course!)
*Please note: If you will be handing out these flowers individually, be sure to glue the pointed end of the skewer into the flower so no one will get poked.
This is the money bouquet that I created a couple of months ago. I have slightly modified the pattern for this tutorial.
To create the bouquet, I placed styrofoam into a small flower pot, added the flowers and covered the mechanics with a little bit of silk ivy.
Enjoy!
**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**
Are you looking for a creative way to give a gift of money? A money bouquet may be your answer. This tutorial will show you a very quick and easy way to create a bouquet of flowers in no time. To simplify gift giving, keep a bunch of these flowers stored flat in a box. They will be ready and waiting when the need arises.
For this project, you will need a pen for tracing, cardboard for pattern, 2 contrasting fabrics, needle and thread, skewer, ribbon, a straight edged and scalloped edged scissor, buttons, hot glue gun, and paper money.
From cardboard, cut 3 circles: 5-1/2", 3", 1-1/2" These will become your pattern pieces.
Trace the 5-1/2" circle onto each of the two fabrics.
Center the 3" circle onto each of the 5-1/2" circles and trace.
Center the 1-1/2" circle onto each of the 3" circles and trace.
This is what you will end up with on each piece of fabric.
With your scalloped edge scissor, cut around the 5-1/2" circle, just inside the traced line.
With a straight edged scissor, cut out the 3" circle.
Cut the outside edge of the 3" circle using your scalloped edged scissor.
With your straight edged scissor, cut out the 1-1/2" circle. Discard or save the 1-1/2" circle for another project (perfect for a small yo-yo).
This is what all 4 pieces should look like. Each one will have a scalloped outer edge and a straight inner edge.
With needle and thread, take a running stitch around the straight edge of each circle. Pull thread to gather and tie off with a knot. Repeat this step until you have all 4 circles sewn and gathered in the same manner.
To assemble, place the large gathered piece onto a flat surface, right side facing up. Add the small contrasting gathered piece, also with the right side facing up. Top with a contrasting button. Sew together using needle and thread (You may also prefer to glue the components together). Repeat this step for the other side of the flower.
Gather the components together. Please note that I have also wrapped the skewer with brown ribbon. The completed flower looks just as nice without the ribbon if you should decided to skip this step.
With your hot glue gun, glue the skewer to the back of one side of the flower.
Add another dab of hot glue onto the skewer and top with the other side of the flower. Here is a side view of the completed flower.
Tie the paper money (acordian fold the center) to the stem using ribbon. In this picture, I have folded the dollar bill in half to see what it would look like. It is a bit smaller but it still works.
*Please note that you will end up with a slightly different look to each side of the flower. This will give your money bouquet much more interest and contrast.
If you don't want to make this into a money bouquet, a fabric flower leaf can be added instead. This would make a cute addition to a little girl's bedroom decor.
I can also envision small gift items tied to the stem for other occasions. How about attaching a gift card for coffee and handing it out to your coworkers for Christmas or maybe other small gift items tied to the stems as a shower gift.
As a small graduation token, a flower made in school colors can be handed out to classmates. Or a whole bouquet in school colors would be a fabulous graduation gift for that special graduate (with money attached, of course!)
*Please note: If you will be handing out these flowers individually, be sure to glue the pointed end of the skewer into the flower so no one will get poked.
This is the money bouquet that I created a couple of months ago. I have slightly modified the pattern for this tutorial.
To create the bouquet, I placed styrofoam into a small flower pot, added the flowers and covered the mechanics with a little bit of silk ivy.
Enjoy!
**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
