And another year gone....

I have been gone for awhile, and actually forgot I even *HAD* a blog until E mentioned it in passing one day. Life has changed quite a bit. I now work at a a small grocery, 2 out of 4 kids have graduated high school, 1 of those is now married, and 1 is on year 3 of a 6 year contract with the US Army.  Of the younger two, one is a junior in high school, and one will be in high school next year. So S1 came home from Iraq safe and whole. D1 married S1's best friend. While he was overseas, no bitterness there. (and if you can't feel the snark.....6 months later he is still upset.) DH took a new job, which we had high hopes for, but didn't pan out as well as we thought.  We were hand to mouth, payday to payevening, how to get milk for a while there.  Just surviving. No art, for either of us. No hobbies or fun unless it benefited the household budget or someone else bought it as a gift. No dreams, no way to get out of the mess we got ourselves into.  And now, we are back to new job, new hope, it can't be worse than the last.  And in all that I was looking for one thing online. ONE. And I could find snippets here and there, but not enough to work with.  Actual frugal living. Just google that and tell me how most of those results happen on food stamps.

 I already knew how to make my grocery dollars work.  Hi! I was a single parent food stamp mom for longer than I care to think about. Once a month cooking is a joke in that place. I was happy to get lunch leftovers, and DH was happy to take them. Scrap sewing?  Does NOT begin with precuts.  All I could think was "Are you people serious? Oh, hell, no. I hope that is the worst you live through." Really. Not in a bitchy way, but somethings just suck.  It's not to be bitchy, or judgy. It's just reality. If someone is googling "scrap yarn gifts" they should be able to make it with scrappy pieces of yarn.  Not minis or whatever.

In the midst of all this we had some family problems.  Some in-laws were constantly, CONSTANTLY, "triggering" (I kind of really hate that word) a spouse. To the extent that a holiday at home alone was better than being with the spouse and kids if involved the in-laws. Police were involved. It got ugly, and expensive. And the holidays were still coming up.  Can we say stress?

In light of all that, I have decided to take things in a new direction. The beginning of this blog was part of the OPAM challenge hosted by Kris Meares of Tag Along Teddies  and Sweet Peg of Happy in Quilting.   It is a great thing if it fits your life, and I finished so many projects thanks to their encouragement. But seasons come and go, and things change.  And now here we are.

I hope to sign up for next years OPAM. If fact, I just re-saved their sites to my toolbar. (It's kind of fascinating how much you lose from one 'puter to another) But for now, my goal is to be change I want to see in the world. ( I am not attributing that because I have have seen way to many different people....let's just go with it's true, shall we?) Less waste. Less stress. More beauty. More giving. More hobbityness and less scroogyness. Less wanting and needing and more helping and wrapping. (just because it's basics doesn't make it less worthy of giftyness.)

I am planning on reviewing actual scrappy patterns and books for both yarn and fabric.  I am planning on sharing the things I have done to save my home money and time. Some of them are and will be fails.  Some of them won't be. I won't do the math for you. (hell, I don't do the math for me, LOL)  But maybe there is something that you can pull that does help.  Most important, I want every mom or wife to know she's not the only one.  Most of us, and I would bet money that it is really all of us, have been there. Maybe for a week, maybe for years. But we all learned something, and that something isn't sponsored by Amazon (ps....I hate Amazon. They are my last resort.), or followed by a "may have been compensated by". I think if you need to compensate me, you are already realizing your failure. ( ahem....amazon). If I like what I see, I may facilitate a give-a-way. Or sponsor it out of my own pocket. I have a background in marketing, so I am familiar with the game.  (cue Reel Big Fish--Sell out with me to tonight, sell out with me......)

Here's my first book recommendation, no footnotes required. Get your hands on a copy of "The Science of Shopping". No, I don't remember the guy's name. Nor do I care. What  I do care about is how he walks you through marketing and sales angles in a way that leave you afraid to read an ingredient list in the store again.  And yes, I am. If I am interested in a product, I buy it, try it, keep or toss it. End of story. I let my dollar vote. And it carries a big stick.

My first project recommendation for yarn is find the cheapest granny shawl pattern you can find. They are almost all the same. And search for a free log cabin block for quilting. Really, its x*x x*a, x*b,x*c all the way around.  X is your starting square. 2*2, 2*4, 2*6, and on and on. And on. Mostly, just remember to research the public domain.  Because both of those should be in it.  I paid $6.00 (NOT REALLY...IT WAS IN STORE CREDIT!!!!!) for my granny shawl pattern because a) it was one page to put in a binder, and b) I liked the colors they used in the example photo by the header. It was the one by Ewe Ewe (here's a link just in case. I don't think they know I exist. And really, all you need is the first 2 rows. But I am  a basic crocheter.)

My first garden recommendation? Start a compost pile.  No walls, fences, or worms or whatever.  Just take the nasty veggies bits to a corner you don't go to often and dump them. Do the same thing next week. It is free. the worms will come on their own. Next year, dirt. And maybe some food and plants. I am not ashamed it admit I have harvested food from the compost pile. Celery, carrots, tatoes, whatever. It grows, I cook it.

My first household recommendation? Buy some vinager. Both kinds. Just have it on hand. Hair rinse? Got it. Counter spray? got it. Laundry softener? got it. Mildew? got it. I don't remember the last time I bough household cleaner.

Hopefully, next week I will remember I have this blog.  And maybe some photos. And I know there is always more snark...(blame my dad....he *thought* it measured critical thinking skills. The jury is still out on that.)

Almost done

Tomorrow is the last day of my 5 strands challenge.  The only problem with this is that the last 2 weeks have been pretty much a wash.  I had a very important work of heart to start, as well as some really busy kids.  Even as I type this, I am really paying more attention to the clock. High School choir is killing me!  Between the expenses and the events, it is becoming the center of our lives.  As well as dance, scouts, and basketball.  There were a few days in the last week that we were gone for 13 hours at a time!!  I don't know how people do this on a regular basis! 

Onto the progress.  Some days I did get 5 strands done, and others none, but most were actually 2 or 3 strands stitched up.  Here is where I left off 2 weeks ago.  The peice in the upper right is what all my stitching has been done on for last 2 weeks. 

I was frustrated that I hadn't had a lot of progress, and failing myself imposed challenge. But to be completely honest, I feel so much better about things now. 





As of right now after uploading this picture. 








Because even with not getting as much done as I had wanted to each day, here is the picture I took 10 minutes ago....

What a pretty big difference!  The one thing I ran into was that I somehow got a huge knot in the skein of black thread, so I wound up just working on the one color for a while, since it was easier than working out the knot.



There is no open space in this pattern, so there is still quite a bit of work to do, but after tomorrow, I can take it at a more leisurely pace.

There are 8.5 by 8.5 inches of solid stitching here!  But the results have so far been worth it.  I kind of feel like I should by an extra frame to work on it in, but using frames really bothers my wrist for some reason. 

 I think for my next personal challenge, I am going to work on some crochet projects I have stashed away.  And I am only going to do it for 2 weeks, and see how that goes for  a while. 

Now, on to that work of heart.  A friend lost her husband suddenly last spring, and I had offered to make a quilt out of his shirts for her.  She was very grateful for the offer, but wasn't really interested.  After a few months, I ran into her and she had changed her mind.  She asked if I was still willing, but completely understood if I wasn't.  Well, what kind of friend would I be if I wasn't still willing?  So after a time she had gathered a couple together, and and I picked them up and went to work.  I now have all the individual blocks done!!! YAY!!

 I found a pattern here at the Thrifty Quilter. It was perfect for what I had to work with, and with a couple little tweaks here and there, it is coming along nicely.  I had 3 light shirts, so I purchased and prewashed 2 complimentary colors instead of also having red.  I really want the new fabric to kind fade away and let the shirts be the focus.  We'll see if that's what happens or not.  Ok. The clock is ticking !!!!

About that pile of craft supplies...

 After deciding to do something about the over abundance of craft supplies, I started with gathering the stitching supplies.  Oh. My. Lanta.  There are a lot!  There were kits in drawers, and bags in closets, and patterns or magazines on EVERY bookcase or shelf.  There were some upstairs and downstairs. Some in various states of completion, from everything together in a bag to just needed a frame.  The photo on the right here is just the "little"? pile by the recliner.  Yeah.....I think I dream big, or something.

There isn't A pile. There are PILES!  These photos are kind of embarrassing. I mean, really? This is ridiculous!  But I've been around enough craft rooms to know this is kind of almost normal.  The piles may be yarn, or fabric, or paint or whatever, but they're there.  Some people are definitely better at organizing the piles, neatly folding fabric, or dedicated yarn bins, or whatever.  Me? Not so much.  

 This little basket is full (over full) of little kits I've accumulated.  Sadly, there are more that I have found, and I have no bigger baskets to contain them in!  So one will go into each vehicle for waiting times.  Since I always seem to be driving someone somewhere for something, this plan should make a pretty decent dent in the pile by the end of the school year.  Whatever I don't love love love can go into a gift box, and then some of the birthday panic will go away.

 This is the lovely pile of project bags that I found stashed all over.  I start one, and something comes up, so it gets put away and ....well, it stays put away.

Which is why this is a project kit that I have carried around for 20 years.  That's a little too long.  So I started it last spring.  The one before the one we just had.  There are three of them in this set, so it may be time finish them.  Although, at this rate, I can give them to a my great grandchildren as housewarming gifts.  Since I'd like them in my own kitchen, that time frame doesn't work.

So my solution?  5 strands stitched every day.  Period.  For a month.  No going to bed til they are done.  No carrying extras strands stitched over to the next day. They are happy accidents.  I've got a little calendar page in my notebook I can keep track in. I may need to bribe myself to keep it up, but I think once I see progress, it may be the only motivation I need.  I am not worried about any finish work there may be at this point, just getting the stitching done.  Maybe when I am little less overwhelmed in life, I can make the finish work a priority. It can be a whole other monthly challenge.

Off I go now.  There are some stitches waiting to happen!  I'll worry about the piles later.  After this one decreases a bit!

Doing something new....

I've never participated in a link party, but I have spent (too much) time checking out other people's.  I am particularly fond of popping around Shabby Art Boutique. So in the interest of not doing house work right this minute, and having worked with D2 in the bathroom reorganizing today, I figured I would give it a shot.  It's better than watching Godzilla again!

D2 and I have been purging girl stuff this week.  Not because we don't like girly stuff, but because after painting the girls room, I didn't want another mess. No. Uh-uh.  This mama would hit the roof! In the process we found a lovely little chest she no longer wanted (score for Mom!) and tons of hair pretties.  TONS!  Some of them were MINE.  So the solution is.....

 You can barely see the tags I tied on to the knobs.  I had a pack of those little vellum key tags. (had is important, I used them all up on this! YAY!)  I made a label for each drawer, I just tied them on with a sheer green and pink ribbon.  There is a "mom" drawer, so the girls shouldn't be losing my stuff anymore.  Like any of it so fancy, since all I do are ponytails with my hair. 

This shelf worked really well, since I needed a spot for my teeny canister for my little hair clips.  My bangs are just long enough to stab my eye right now, so I NEED those if I want to see, and again, I found them in the girls school stuff when they were emptying desks at school.  There was still too much "space", so I also moved my mom's ring holder, make up brushes, and a bottle of oil on to the shelf as well.  To top it off,  I put my vanity set in front.  I can't stand the brush, but I love that comb!  And the best part...all the hair doo-dads are in ONE SPOT!!

Quote for my weekend focus...

 "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." - William Morris

I am using this quote, along with "keep the best and get rid of the rest" to help guide my weekend housekeeping. We already sent 5 boxes to the local Goodwill and another 2 are getting filled as we speak.  Perfectly good stuff, but it doesn't fit the "keep it" criteria.  Now we have run to one big and rather funny problem: there are 6 of us.  One daughter loves pink, the other hates it.  They share a room.  One son loves Asian inspired things.  I can't stand it, so it better stay in his room.  The other son believes EVERYTHING is useful and I don't see the use of the beat up cardboard Lego box. I like big, comfy, multifunction furniture; my husband is a minimalist.  I am quite sure we will never have a Better Home & Garden house, but sometimes I think "eclectic" can go too far.  I am not even sure where some of the stuff comes from, since we don't do a lot of shopping.  Another fun (perhaps the funnest) aspect is looking at something and wondering "can I make this beautiful thing useful" or "can I make this useful thing beautiful."  But maybe that's a mess to clean up next week!