RagTime Baby

As if I don't already have enough to do in my life (full time job, full time student, spouses club board member, full time dog mommy, full time stamping fanatic) I have added quilting to my list.  

I've always been a crafter and I've even made a few quilts, but I'm making this one with a friend and that makes it EXTRA special.  I'm also not giving it away.  Its Pink and it's Mine.

Cassandra and I drove (well Cassandra drove her gas hating PRIUS) all over California to help me find the perfect fabric for the first quilt I will ever make FOR MYSELF! 

Check out this sign outside of the cutest quilt store I've ever visited.  Cute huh??

The shop is owned by a pink haired woman in saddle shoes and her purple haired rocker husband.  

They both quilt.

For reals.

They decorated the inside of the store with vintage items handed down from her grandmother who was a master seamstress.  The place is FUN.  The best part is that every fabric, no matter the size, shape, color, is $5 a yard.  That's all.  $5.  They don't have a ton of choices but I would say they have a better than average selection.

I bought all my fabric there and now I'm off to cut the quilt sandwiches for sewing.  I'll post pictures as I go, but don't get too excited.  

It was for me, remember?  

So just picture a pink quilt.

Works for Me Wednesday

Another works for me Wednesday.

All this useless knowledge and no one to share it with.

Stupid Private Blog.

Lucky you. You got the invite. This also means I'm not talking about you.

At least not here.

Summer makes my feet yucky. I get bi-weekly pedicures but all that flip flop wearing makes a girls heels, well, a little crunchy.

Since it seems Californians wear flip flops to every event (Yes. That includes weddings. They just wear the fancy pair.) and flip flop season is 12 months long, (Yes. Flip flops are worn with jeans and sweatshirts in this land.) I had to do some fast thinkin' to get my feet fancy for the wearin'.

Wanna know the big secret? It's not tested on animals. It's not sold in fancy salons and boutiques. It's not even expensive.

Yes, I still use it.

Flexitol. Yep. I use the diabetes foot curin', geriatric smellin', drug store sold, Flexitol Heel Balm. Why not? It says right on the label "cures cracked heels" and that is exactly what I had. It didn't say MUST HAVE DIABETES. It just suggested that most people with diabetes found it useful.

$4.99 a bottle. Apply twice daily and wah - lah. No more crunchy heels.

Now go to Shannon's and read all the other ideas. Maybe you can leave me a comment about something that works for you. Hint, Hint.

GratiTuesday

It's time for a little shout out to the Lord, so you know it must be GratuiTuesday, where I can be vocally thankful for something in my life.

Currently there are 800 square miles of California burning.  There are 330 fires being furiously fought.  35 minutes from the place I call home burns day and night with no signs of letting up.

Today I am grateful for the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect my home, my family and my safety.

Thank you.  

And even though you aren't fighting California fires, your job is no less important.  So to my favorite cousin, Dink - Thank you too.  For volunteering your life for all of us.

Hey Look! Another recipe!

Summer is full of pot lucks and bar-b-que.  It's also full of neighbors who don't invite you to their "informal get-together" until the very last minute.  This recipe isn't very last minute friendly, but very very popular in my circle.  I also whip it up when my husband comes home at midnight and announces with a smile that the office pot luck is tomorrow.  Panic. Setting. In.  I mean, I only work full time myself.

Therefore, I present you with my version of Fast and Furious Fruit Cake.

See.  It's healthy.  It has Fruit right in the name.

Ingredients:

Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix

Whipped Topping (I use Cool Whip)

Cream Cheese frosting

Assorted Fruit

Prepare and bake the sugar cookie dough according to the package instructions.  You will make one large cookie the size of a jelly roll pan.  

Hint: I spray my hands with Pam before patting the dough flat.  

The dough must be relatively even or you will have part crunch/part goo.

Mix a tub of cream cheese frosting with about 2 cups of whipped topping.  When the cookie has cooled top the gigantic cookie with the "frosting" and decorate with assorted fruit.  

I buy frozen berries and keep them on hand for such emergencies.  Like Friday, for instance, when my husband needed one decorated like a flag for work.  

This is the land of milk and honey.  I married its fruit.

No chance

I have been trying to teach this concept since the day we met.  

I have since learned that boys like pictures. Maybe this graph will help Hungry Husband.

Dollar Palace

In 2006 I found this article online.

Carl & I still joke about it.

My husband will sometimes question my attire (yes - sometimes my crown is crooked) before we head out to the commissary (market/grocery for those of you not in the military know) and usually I respond by saying, "It's not like we're going to Wal-Mart!"

Ha ha. I wonder what Debra Jackson's best Wal-Mart shopping outfit looks like. I wonder if a knee-length t-shirt and stretch-pants are involved.

Happy Birthday America!

My husband has to work today. Of course he does. I mean, it's only the Fourth of July. So I cased this adorable idea from here and intended to make them for his staff. I bought everything at Michaels to make them in time for the Fourth.


Too bad no one in California sells LifeSavers in a roll anymore. When did that happen? Now they come in a tin? Who in the world wants a firecracker tin? I had to scratch the idea. The closest thing I could find was a tube of breath mints. You can't hardly spend a day sucking on breath mints and feeling very good about it so I scrapped the idea. Does anyone need a million yards of red, white, and blue stars?

On another note (haha) check out this classic performance. It gives me goosepimples EVERY TIME.

Stamping Out Loud

Carl is back to working nights which means I have to stay quiet in the day while he sleeps. Not an easy task. Thankyouverymuch. Over the weekend I went over to my friend Laura's (the Queen of all that is stamping) to do what almost every military wife does. Stamp. We cased this card from http://www.stampwithjill.com/ and had a marvelous time being loud and silly.

It only took us a few hours to make one set each. Well, it probably took less time than that since we started by clearing out space in her cabinet for all my stamping stuff. I hate dragging it all over there every time and since Laura is one of the nicest girls I know, she promptly stuffed all of her neat and organized things into a box so I could mess up a shelf in her house. Move over sista, I'm moving in!

Works For Me Wednesday

I can't "officially" participate in Works for me Wednesday since I have a private blog, but I visit every week. You can go there too. WFMW is a "blog carnival" that my friend Shannon hosts. Basically, the idea is that on Wednesday you post a little tip you've learned on any (G-rated) topic--anything that has "worked for you" in making your life easier.

Oh my, and if you have the time (and you can always link back later) you will learn so much.

Now that the bloggity business of explaining WFMW has been handled, here is my contribution:

Microwave Cleaning.

Possibly the nastiest job on the planet. My husband never uses a cover.

Ever.

Splatter abounds in the microwave. Eck.

Since we no longer have a housekeeper I had to tackle this one on my own. Since I HATE cleaning, I, of course, had to come up with a "work smarter, not harder" plan.

Some company used to make wet paper towels in a package that you could cook and they cleaned your microwave. I thought it was genius but I've never been able to find them again. Apparently, someone thought they could do it better.

And there it was.

I soaked an old rag in water and placed it in a dish in the microwave. I cooked it on HIGH for about 4 minutes. After the timer went off I let it set for about 2 more minutes. The steam took action! I put on a glove and used the HOT (hot hot hot- be careful) rag to wipe down the microwave and - wah lah- sparkly clean.

That's all I did. I'm on cleaning vacation now and it's Hungry Husband's turn. Only one of us can look good. It's either me or the house.

GratuiTuesday

It's time for a little shout out to the Lord, so you know it must be GratuiTuesday, where I can be vocally thankful for something in my life.

Almost exactly one year ago, my sweet baby Divita was diagnosed with Addison's disease. It is a disease that causes the Adrenal Glands to atrophy and can be fatal. It's a tough disease to get under control, in part because very few Veterinarians understand it and because of the massive financial commitment required to treat it. All too often the beloved family pet dies before the diagnosis can be made. We were lucky.

Now we are in California and we haven't had much luck finding a Vet that understands the disease. We have cycled through 7 Vets and one serious crash that landed us in the Santa Barbara ER. I have a hard time getting my fears about this disease under control but there is one person that really helps me.

So today I am thankful for my friend Elizabeth. She has a dog, Raider, that also has Addison's Disease. She is an amazing canine lover that understands the disease like no one else I've met. She lets me email her all of the crazy questions I come up with and I can call her in the middle of the night from the ER with all my worries. She understands my undying love for Divita (and Bruiser) and doesn't think I'm crazy for it. We talk about our dogs and have built a wonderful friendship. She might be in California this year and I'm going to drive 7 hours each way to meet her. She's worth it!

She is my angel and today I am thankful for her knowledge and friendship. I hope that someday I can repay her for all that she has done for me.