Things I like Thursdays Aug 15

Greetings!

How are things goin in your day?  Hope they are fun.  We are ok here-just hot. I have a few things to show you that made my life good if not different. (heehee).

1.  Avocado toast with egg:

It takes a few minutes to put together but it's so good.  It's just toast, mashed avocado and an over -easy egg.

2.  Minimal scraps after squaring (35)  4 square blocks:

That's unusual for me so I was happy I cut and sewed the 4 -squares correctly. 

3. Post it quilt top is on the design board.  It's made from 10 fat quarters.-cleaning out the stash.

Ready to start sewing the 4 squares together. It's about 46 x 68 inches.  It'll be donated to a church group to back and quilt.  

4. Amazon service.  I love shopping for unusual or no-longer-carried items at Amazon and most items are delivered in 2 days. There happens to be a distribution center 20 miles from my home. 
The other day I ordered Bobs Red Mill gluten free flour.  This is what I got:

The label says what I ordered but it was a bag of coconut flakes!  I laughed.  It only took one phone call ( plus emailing the photo) to customer service and my account was credited the same day of the phone call. That is good service.  Whoever pulled the product at the warehouse made a mistake. I've never received the wrong product before and have been very pleased with Amazon service. 



5. Braylee's 4th  birthday.  

She was very sweet and had so much fun. 
 But, my days of going to "Chucky Cheese" are over.  My ears were actually ringing when I left and walked to my car 2 hours later.  It was very cramped and crowded. The music, game machines and people were so loud. Us old folks ( great and grand parents) sat in a little group waiting for it to end. (While others were running around frantically)

6.  Trying new things. I saw the ring binder way of keeping received greeting cards in a special way.

I bought binder rings and punched holes in all the cards. I put it together  but it did not turn out well. The cards are flopping around which seems sloppy;  plus, how to store that. .  I don't like the result and took them off. Back to square one to make something to save these cards prettily, but at least I tried it.

7.  Watercolor Portfolio.  I needed a place to store my paintings as they were piling up on the one shelf I use to display them:

I  used a mauve  piece of poster board from Michael's that cost about a dollar, and some stash embroidery thread. Done in a few minutes and I love it. 

Well, that's about all for me this week.  Hope you will join us at Lee Anna's post:Not Afraid of Color
for more "likes".   Hava a great day.


mary

Things I like Thursdays Aug 8

Greetings!

I'm gonna be real honest here and tell you it's difficult (again) to list" likes" with all the bad news in this last week of bad news everywhere.  I won't list them here but just know it's affecting a lot of us.
And, more importantly, nothing is being done here in the U.S. to stop the gun violence or hateful rhetoric.

Luckily, I have really cool people to watch on You Tube, bloggers who share their thoughts with artistry and Hallmark movies.  Self survival. Some would say I'm avoiding or escaping  and they are correct.  It's overwhelming some days. I have Tune In radio on my electronics and just installed Pandora on my I phone so I can listen to  calming (elevator) music. Needless to say, I go to my quilting or painting for solace.

So, here are my "likes" for this week that have brought me joy:

1. My "Trees" painting

Serene. It only took about a half hour!

2.  My great granddaughter's new bag.

 It's a cute, lined, zippered bag for her 4th birthday. It measures 10 x 10 x 4. I decided it needed her name on it AFTER IT WAS FINISHED!
Insane choice.

Here is my work space where I was trying to figure out how to monogram  with my Janome 6600!
Manual, I pad, notes, and of course Cheez Its.  It took 2.5 hours to monogram a small pink fabric and sew it to the front:

That's as big as the letters got. Not even an inch tall.  Disappointing.  I can't figure out how to enlarge the width or length of stitch as this a preset setting.  I checked on chat lines for this problem and they just say "enlarge the length and width" but that's not possible. Any ideas my friends?  Anyway, I was short on time as her party is this weekend so I got it done.  It does have a little pocket:

I hope she likes it.  I'm going to stuff it with Dollar Store school-type items like colored pencils, stickers, etc.

3. Pulling fat quarters to use up from my stash for a new 4 square quilt.

They are  much prettier in person. I don't know why the colors are not true from my I phone.  The very top pieces are light blue not gray. Gheeze. There is a main print of white, blue, red,turquoise, yellow, green, pink flowers and so I pulled those colors to enhance the main print. I'll cut them (maybe today) into 5 inch squares and then do a four square block. 

Here are some close-ups:

That's better.


Well peeps, hope you are healthy and happy.  Thanks for dropping by and please join us at Lee Anna's site:Not Afraid of Color

Have a great day.
mary 😃

Things I like Thursdays Aug 1

Greetings!

Okay-what did you do with July????

Anyway, hope you are keeping cool in this crazy heat.  I feel like I've been busy, but I don't have much to show for it.  Haha.  Saturday started with a pedi with my daughter then lunch at Panera Bread. We love their sugar cookies- plain and so tasty.
 Of course,  we were across the parking lot from Hobby Lobby, so we spent 1.5 hours there looking at Christmas ideas!! She bought lots of little stuff for Christmas gift crafts with my grandson which is so smart to start now instead of her busy end of year month at work in December.

I purchased one item and it starts off my list of likes:

1. My carved, wooden  nativity scene:

It was $5.00!! Delicate but sturdy. It could be painted but I love the natural wood look. I remembered I had a beautiful navy fabric with stars for a background.  And, it is perfect.  Now I just have to make a quilt and attach the wood carving somehow to make a hanging.  The nativity scene is about 12 inches by 12 inches.  perfect size for a wall hanging.

2.  my Facebook Christmas Club group.  It's my second group on Facebook and it is so cool.  People post Christmas scenes-real and imagined.  It is so fun to look at in these heat waves.

3. Taking a risk with a new class.  I did not like it, but at least I tried.  It was a "learn to watercolor" class at my local Scrapbook store.  Here's what I made for $15 and 1.5 hours. A three inch cactus on a card:

The teacher was not experienced, organized or prepared for the class of 9 ladies. So, it was chaos.  I thought I had asked enough questions about the class in advance but the cashier who signed me up wasn't  knowledgeable about it either. When I told my daughter about the  experience and what I made, she could not stop laughing- she knows I hate cactus.  Oh well, you  don't know till you try.  Just keepin it real, folks.

4.  Kate in Northern England's vlog on You Tube.  Jocelyn of Canadian Needle Nana  blog offered a video of this woman last week and I am addicted to her Vlog.  Kate  is smart, fun, down to earth and has a lovely farm with cows, hens, cats, etc.  She talks (and shows) about cooking, quilting, pottery and much more. She is so charming.  Here is the link to her You Tube vlog:The last homely house east of the sea..  I sure hope this link works for you.  I believe the title is from a Tolkein novel or Lord of the Rings, something like that.
I hope you check her out.

5. This poster I made for over Thomas ' bed here at my home.

Sorry for the poor photo quality.



 He had an old drawing he did in the 4th grade and it was long time ready for something new.  I can't wait for him to see it-he loves his Suns and basketball.

That's all folks! Gotta get ready for my last Wednesday with Thomas before he returns to school on Monday.  This is so hard on kids here to go to school in this heat. I'll still have him every other
weekend after school starts, thank God.

Have a great day!
mary

Things I like Thursdays Jul 25

Greetings!

Yes, I'm still here, not melted. I haven't left the house for 5 days due to bronchitis and the heat.  Today I need to go to the library and Walmart. Pray for me.
I had let the non breathing properly issue go for weeks and finally realized I needed to do maintenance.  I'm feeling much better.

Here are my likes for this week:

1.  COPD meds on hand.  I have the best lung doctor.  She understands her patients. Just sayin.
I have necessary meds on hand for flare ups of bronchitis.  I am so grateful. It usually only takes 4-5 days to feel better so I can function. I don't have to run to Urgent Care or try to get into her office.

2. Cleaning out this old PC.  I need to get a new PC-eventually.  I have an I pad but it's not as comfortable as sitting at this PC with a large monitor and keyboard.  My thumbs get sore with the I pad.  But, if this PC fails, I'm very grateful for the I pad.
Back to the topic at hand. I've had this HP unit about 7-8 years and of course it's obsolete or will be.  I also am using Windows 7 which I prefer to Windows 10 ( and have not purchased 10 but was forced to use it at my old job).
 I received a notice recently from Microsoft they  won't support Windows 7 anymore- I think that's wrong. I paid dearly for your product-I shouldn't be forced to spend more and upgrade. Anyway, I digress-again.  I've been deleting old recipes, quilting tutorials I've never used, files, etc on this system to free up space and just organize better. It is very time-consuming. I'll keep at it. Don't even ask how many photos I need to delete.

3.  Easy Microwave chocolate cake

Needless to say, I am not using the oven due to the heat.  But, I wanted a piece of cake and found this on allrecipes.com.  It's great!  I baked it in a stoneware pie plate so it's pretty flat, but good.

Then, I decided I wanted a white cake so I did not use the cocoa and instead changed the vanilla to a tablespoon.  This is my vanilla 6 inch sponge cake from the same recipe:

I liked it as- is but it would be good with fruit or jam on top. It's the perfect size, too.
I have no idea why it has a whole in the bottom- it cooked in a glass bowl.
I didn't spend 10 minutes making either cake!

4.  Bud Light's tweet:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/18/us/area-51-bud-light-trnd/index.html

I hope this link worked. (It did work on my end.)  I thought this was hysterical.   If you are not aware, many (like thousands) of people are wanting to go to Area 51 to "see the aliens  the government is hiding from us" in September. Of course, most rational people think this is a joke.

5.  Being "Notification free".  I changed my Iphone to "no notifications"  in my Settings.  I used to be a news junkie and liked to know what is going on around me and in the world.  But, the notifications were affecting my serenity!  My daughter suggested it because she had done it and felt less alarmed.
I am much happier not knowing every horrible thing that has happened today. I can check the tv news if necessary.

6.  Dits and Dots quilt is done.

It's 44 inch square made with disappearing 9 patches pattern from leftover charms  and solid blocks.  It's  very cheery.  I'll wash it today.  I'm not sure where I'll donate it yet- I have several options.  See the orange fabric used on the back?- it's old from 2014 and from my stash.  It's from Fabric Traditions on the selvage.  I got it in a discount baggie at my LQS.  I do not recommend it.  It's so stiff and difficult to work with.  Hope the quilt softens up in the wash.

Well peeps, time to go-hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my world. Please join us for more likes at:Lee Anna's Not Afraid of Color

have a great week and keep cool.
mary

Things I like Thursdays Jul 18

Greetings!

Hi to all.  Unfortunately, this post will be short as I honestly cannot come up with more than a few "likes" to post.  I know, sad. Life is pretty dull around here while we sit in front of the tube keeping cool. No cooking unless it's the microwave and  staying home out of the heat.  I'm even putting off going to the grocery store till later this week when it cools down to 105. And contrary to public opinion, it is not a dry heat as the monsoon is coming. Gheeze.
 Our pantry and freezer are full so it's not like we're gonna starve- I just need to get creative with cold foods.


Here's my list such as it is.

1. Hallmark Christmas movies all month.  They were on one channel till last Sunday and now they are on the original  Hallmark channel till the 28th.  We have seen all of them but are watching them again cause there is nothing  much on the tv, now that Wimbledon is done.


2. The Gentlemens Match at Wimbledon. (cool title) That was 5 hours of tennis.  "Well done!" to both of them.

3. Purple Butterfly

I spent over an hour on this one whereas the others have taken about  a half hour.  I made the butterfly first and then tried to fill in where he had landed.  That was fun. I'm not a fan of the color orange but I liked how it balanced the colors here.

4. The tv show, Instinct - on CBS , Sundays. A fomer CIA operative who now is a professor of abnormal behavior studies  pairs up with a female NYPD detective  to solve crimes.  Alan Cumming ( of Broadway fame) is the gay professor and does a wonderful job as well as the female lead.  We really like this show.

5. Dits and Dots is sandwiched.  It  was so easy to work on at the kitchen table cause it was only 44 inches square.  Love those small quilts.

Well peeps, that's about it.  Hope ya'll are keepin cool.😎
Please join us at Lee Anna's for more "likes":Not afraid of color

Take care and thanks for dropping by,
mary
😎

Things I like Thursdays Jul 11

Greetings!

Hope ya'll had a good week.  We had fun.  Please join us at Lee Anna's site: Not Afraid of Color for more "likes".

Here is a list of my "likes" for this week:

1.  My son's beautiful and "cold" new swimming pool.

The big unit behind us on the back patio  is his hot tub along with his "Green Egg" barbecue system.   "Cool Jazz" was playing in the background.   (The "kid" knows how to live- he's almost 50).

 The last photo is of the waterfall.  Everything is remote controlled.  Really cool.  The water was too cold to swim in except for a few of us.   Everyone else didn't even put their suits on  but stuck their feet in the water..
  This cold pool water  is just so unusual for this area in July. But, the bad temps (113 degrees)  this week will warm up the water very soon.

2.  My new quilting group about 1/2 mile from my home.  It's in a quilt shop (after hours) for UFO's and WIPS.  The group is very small but gets me out of the house for an evening. The ladies were complete strangers but very nice and welcoming. I was able to sew the Dits and Dots top together:

And yes, the quilt has legs.  I did a disappearing 9 patch block with a solid block.  All made from left over fabric cut into charms for the 9 patch.  It's a baby quilt about 44 inches square.


3. "Roses are Purple" painting.  Thanks to "Creations CEECEE" for the tutorial.

This was so fun to make and I love turquoise with purple . I just keep trying CeeCee's videos.  She makes it seem so simple. And it is!

4. Stuffed Peppers from my daughters garden.  These red peppers were from her garden and I just used a mixture of  browned  hamburger, cooked rice, a can of diced tomatoes with some seasoning all stuffed inside the peppers.  I put them in the slow cooker for 3 hours on low  and supper was done.

5.  My new PUR water purifier.  I had been thinking about installing one and Lee Anna gave me the idea again, so I just did it.

 I've been feeling guilty about all the plastic water bottles we've been using ( a case a week). I couldn't  buy them because the case was  too heavy so my son- in- law has been bringing them over, weekly. Of course, most of you have seen what we are doing to our planet and fish with these plastic items that are thrown away.  We do recycle as much as possible in our home but it just seemed smarter to not have the bottles in the first place.

Now, I just make a pitcher of water every morning, keep it in the fridge and we fill our insulated metal drinking bottles from that.  We could fill them from the faucet but the water is too hot due to summer here. We have not used a plastic bottle since last Thursday!
The filter should last about 3 months. I had one of these PUR systems in our old house and loved it. I don't know why I never got one for this house in 3 years. I'm so glad I did a few days ago! I highly recommend this system.

Well peeps, gotta go and get laundry done- Ugh. I'd rather be sewing or painting.
Thanks for stopping by!
Have a good week.
mary

Things I like Thursdays Jun 4

Greetings!

            HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

Yes, this is my kitchen table. It will be a low key day here but I  hope you are having a wonderful day wherever you are.  And just in case you are wondering, I will not have the tv on due to the disgusting display by Trump in our capitol .

However, in keeping with our "likes" tradition at Lee Anna's site, here are my "likes" for this week.

1.  Discount Tire.  As you know, I don't handle "car trouble" well because  most repair shops are gleeful when a single old lady walks in the door.  But I must say I've always felt respected and taken care of at Discount Tire. Since I've been at 2 different stores in one week (with 2 different problems), I find that comforting.  Each time, the problem was taken care of for free since I've only purchased my tires there for many, many years.  just sayin.

2.  My Lavender Pot painting. 

As expected, I have been trying this new hobby almost every day!  This was a little difficult getting the shape of the pot, but overall, I'm pleased with it.  I do love my lavender pots out front of the house.

3. Sam's Club pulled pork in the refrigerated section of the store. .  It's already cooked and has minimal ingredients.  My daughter picked it up for me and we will have at least 3 meals out of this one package.  The best reason for this purchase was how tender the meat is but still lean!

Seasoned just right so you can add any sauce you want.  My daughter knows I don't cook much in this heat, so this was so nice. She also grabbed me a rotisserie chicken since I was caring for Thomas. Win win for me.

4.  Just in Case.

These are right by the front door. I put them there when we moved in but just realized how funny this is. My guardian angel and home security.

5.  My wax warmer to make the living room smell nice.

Wow, glad I dusted last week.  heehee.
  Anyway, I love this one because it's electric and gives out a little light at night.  But, it smells so good when I melt the "sugar cookie" scented wax cubes from Walmart, that it makes me hungry!

6.  The Kilona Iowa quilt block walking tour online:

https://www.traveliowa.com/destination/quilt-block-walking-tour/7207/

This looks like such a wonderful place to visit. 

Well friends, that's  my list of fun items for this week.  Hope you'll join us at Lee Anna's for more at: Not Afraid of Color.

Have  great week. 

mary