Cleaning Extravaganza!!!

Okay, so maybe I exaggerated a bit....but I watched a podcast called Living With Cambriea and she volunteers to go to people's homes and help them clean especially REALLY messy, hoarder type houses.  I was amazed by what she got done in one day!   She cleaned a room a day and that is cleaning drawers, closets, and every surface.  I figured if she could do that in one day I could at least do it in 1 week...right?   So, today was Week #1 of the Whole Enchilada Cleaning Extravaganza!!!
I didn't want to feel overwhelmed, to begin with, so I chose the master bathroom.  I cleaned the toilet, sink, and mirror just the other day so I had a little headstart.  Today I vacuumed and cleaned a drawer and a cupboard under the sink.  Monday is a big day as I pretty much relax and do crafts over the weekend.  So come Monday I have a bit to do.  In addition, I called in and picked up prescriptions, emptied the garbages and got it out to the street. I took my walk, washed my comforter and blanket on my bed and changed the sheets.  I still have another load of laundry to do and I'd like to paint the back door but that might be wishful thinking since I got up at 2:30 this morning.
Yesterday I did work on my Santa Sunday.............

Today I got "treasures" in the mail!!!!  3 of the 4 books I ordered...........
my favorite mystery series..............

the first book in a new to me series about quilting............recommended by an avid quilter on IG.....I read a bit of it and it feels like it's going to be good..............

and finally, this book also recommended by a fellow quilter............

I did some ironing yesterday while watching 2 NFL football playoff games.
Here are your 'tidbits' for today...........

 I've been looking for just a plain full apron pattern.  This one might do the trick! Here's the link

No recipe but I thought this chart might come in handy............

Happy Trails!!!

 

YOP Week #27

I survived another birthday!  Yay!  I made it to 71 yesterday.  At my age, you're never sure how much longer you have.  No matter what your age you don't know but at my age, you have more time to think about it! LOL!  It was a beautiful day here; sunny and about 47 so I took a walk.  I've been trying to get back to walking and boy am I in bad shape!  I used to walk 3-4 miles with the girls and now I'm lucky to make it around the block.  Hopefully, I will get myself back in shape.  I did some sewing and some online shopping and then went uptown and bought some butter pecan ice cream....my favorite!  I try not to eat much dairy but on holidays I eat what I want.
For projects this week it was nice to be done with the holidays and get back to a normal schedule although I still don't know what day it is! LOL!
I'm still working on the baby blanket and it is taking forever!  I love the fabric but it makes my hand cramp up after about 1 row and I have to put it down for awhile.

So then I pick up my 2019 Christmas socks.............self-striping yarn is so much fun!

I also worked on an experimental project I have been wanting to do for a long time now.  I have all kinds of towels that are anywhere from 20 to 40 years old with no holes in them but the edges are all ragged.  I'm too cheap to throw them out as they are perfectly usable they just look raggedy.  So, I thought I would take a hand towel and bind it like I do the quilts............I have yet to hand sew the other side but so far so good!

 I have many more towels to do but I think it will save my towels and they will look even prettier!  This particular towel is over 40 years old!  They don't make things to last like that anymore.

 I also worked on my Saturday Stars and Stripes cross stitch.........I'm almost done..finish this white row and one more row of the red and it's a 'finish'!

My daughter and her family pulled out all the stops for my birthday and sent me a big box of presents!  My grandsons made me a card and they also used their own allowances to buy me some presents!  The strawberry is from Grayson and when you uncinch it, it is a tote bag!  I love it!  Sam bought me some Ginger Peach wax melts from McCalls which is a family favorite!  That smell is the best.  My grandsons are the most thoughtful and giving boys!  Of course, I'm not prejudiced or anything! LOL!

 Grayson also gave me this cute little 'squishy'............thank you boys! 

They gave this beautiful Woolrich sweater..............right up my alley!  Amy knows me so well!

I also got an orange rain jacket with a hood from Columbia that I needed!  My old Columbia is a bit 'snug'  on me....I forgot to take a picture of it..........I love me some Biscoff cookies and Apple Pickin' Goat milk lotion, a darling chicken bag and 'Grandma's' poison ivy soap....I get into poison ivy every year it seems.

I also received some stickers and some party supplies some bacon candy and a lovely card with a gorgeous horse on it............it was truly the most birthday presents I have ever gotten in my life!  They are awfully good to me!

I have acquisitions but they are not here yet and may not be here next week even.  What is up with shipping?  It costs more and takes longer!  But I did finally order supplies for punch needle which I have wanted for over a year now so I bit the bullet.  I also had to order a few XS supplies and some books from Thrift books, of course!
I think there is football this afternoon and it is going to be in the 60's so there will definitely be another walk.  I hope you had a wonderful Holiday season and Happy New Year!!!
Happy Trails!!!

Staying balanced..........

A little of this and a little of that!  Yesterday I made those pecan pie bars and they are good!  Just look on All Recipes for them.........

  I got a lovely card and a
long letter from an old friend............

I got some cleaning done and some sewing............I'll show you when it's finished............

I also received my Scrappy Heart pattern from Kathleen Tracy and was I surprised when I opened it and there was fabric with it!  I thought it was just the pattern!  I like surprises like that!  I won't be working on it until I finish a few other things......yeah right! LOL!

Here are your "tidbits" for today!  I need to get this before the grands come down...that would be a stitch! LOL!

I have seen these so many times and need to try them.  The hard part is finding some pretty sweaters at the thrift store...............here's the link

This looks so good...I have a taste for salads lately...I must need more greens.  Here's the link

That's all for today folks!  I'm probably not going to blog tomorrow because I will be "rockin" my 71st birthday!  (Whatever that means)
Happy Trails!!!

I'm off to a good start...I think

Yesterday I started organizing my fabrics...............I did it by color...........

but then there was yardage...........

and pre-cuts..........

and holiday-themed

and specialty fabrics......

I need more containers!   This isn't even taking into consideration SCRAPS.......oh boy!
Any ideas for organizing fabrics would be appreciated!  I think I'll do color first and then size and then scraps by color and size. 
I did do a little cutting and sewing on my journal cover.............

Here's just one little tidbit for today...........this is for you single gals! LOL!

Happy Trails!!!

Happy New Year!!!

I wish you all the healthiest and happiest New Year of all!
Happy Trails!!!

Cooking up a storm!

Not a real storm...just a bunch of food to eat off of for the next week.  I made all the fixings for tacos tonight and the black-eyed peas are soaking for tomorrow.  The cream cheese is softening for the bacon dip and the bacon is cooked and everything is ready to just throw together.  Tomorrow morning I will put the black-eyed peas in the crockpot and maybe make the pecan pie bars but we'll see.  Mostly what I want to do is sew and specifically a journal cover for my new journal.  This is a free pattern on the Janome website (actually last year but it should still be there) and it covers a composition book which is exactly what I use for my bullet journal.
Here's the fabric I auditioned today...........

 This is the pattern...........

 I received this lovely card and note from my cousin today.............so precious...........and appreciated

Tonight I'll be crocheting and watching a movie on YouTube called Angel Dog.....Farside... the dog looks just like Chance...not sure if it's good or not but I'm going to watch it!   What are you all up to tonight? 
Here are your New Year's Eve "tidbits"...........

 I won't stay up late enough to bring in the New Year so this is for you too if you can't stay up until midnight! LOL!

 Here's a reading challenge that I fail every year but it's still very interesting and gets you out of your usual genre of books....

Happy New Year my friends and stay safe!  Remember...it's amateur night out there!
Happy Trails!!!

Groceries for luck!

After this past year, I am pulling out all the stops for getting Lady Luck on my side in 2020!  I went to the store and got all the "good luck" food.  To be honest I have never done this before but I think maybe I should have.  My whole life might have turned out differently!  I went to the local grocery store and looked for fresh greens and there were none so I asked why since it is New Year's good luck food.  They told me in Arkansas it is black-eyed peas, hog jowls, and cabbage with cornbread.  What?  Hog jowls?  I have never heard of that before and I am not going there!  So I had to buy canned mustard greens and I got black-eyed peas and a ham slice and bacon.  I am making Kickin' Collard greens or just the mustard greens heated up, Slow Cooker Spicy Black-eyed Peas, cornbread, and the World's Best Bacon Cheese Dip.  Plus some Pecan Pie Bars.....all recipes are on All Recipes! LOL!  Okay, so the bacon cheese dip and the pecan pie bars are not for good luck they're just for good eatin'!       

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 Here are your "tidbits" for today...............this cracked me up!

here's a little craft that would be easy to make for Christmas or anytime.  I think I would add battery operated lights too!  There were no directions but it's pretty self-explanatory........

For those of you who don't want to pay big bucks for an espresso machine to make lattes at home or other coffee drinks, this might be a solution for a lot less money...... I'm thinking about it..... here's the link

That's all for today...the sun was shining here today and in the 50's but a bit breezy.
Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #26

 I frogged the baby blanket and started over as it was "widening" on one side.  I have had this problem before and it's in the turn.  I have to really look at the stitches so I go into the proper one at the beginning of the row.  So far so good!  I have 5 rows and I calculated roughly that if I do 6 rows a day, not counting the border at the end, I will be done about the 18th of January.  I am also using a bigger hook this time (I), and I chained 121 and will be making it 32" X 32" or thereabouts.  She called for worsted weight but I am using a sport weight. I'm really glad I upped the hook size as the pattern looks better and it is easier on my hands.

 I  started my new Christmas socks on Christmas Eve and I have finished the cuff and I'm on round 8 of 61 for the leg of sock #1.  I am using a vanilla pattern with no design.

 I also started my Chicken Joy cross stitch on Christmas Day............that is part of the tree.......

I'm on Instagram now but I haven't figured out how to get the logo to take you to my IG page......if anyone knows how let me know else I will figure it out eventually.
Over the New Year holiday, I will be re-organizing and re-prioritizing my YOP projects.  I will post about it next Sunday.  This is going to be the year of finishes and final finishes....I hope! LOL!
I did have one acquisition this week.............a new quilt pattern on its way from Kathleen Tracy.....

 That's all the progress for this week and I hope to get back to some of my other projects.
Here are some "tidbits" I found interesting..........

Here are some more "good luck" recipes but these are guaranteed to be good as they are from Real Simple magazine and I have never had a bad recipe from them...........here's the link

Here is a free printable calendar for 2020.........here's the link

Now, this sounds good and it is by Good Housekeeping.  If they don't know who does?  Here's the link

That's a wrap for this week!  Have a great one and Happy New Year!  Stay safe!
Happy Trails!!!