Yay! I'm a Winner!

I recently participated in my first Blogathon blogged about here. Guess what? I won! I was pretty excited to see my name on the list. So not only did I learn some new things this past weekend like how to back up my blog I also had a refresher course on grammar - which was really good. I made a blogging binder with forms to help me organize and plan my blog posts. I got a free photoshop download AND I won something too!  

If you would like to see some of the challenges from the recent Blogathon or the first one go here.  I am already looking forward to the next one!

Blessings!

I've Joined the Biannual Blogathon Bash!

I recently started following a blog called Living Montessori Now. Through that blog I found out about a Blogathon bash which is basically a weekend marathon to help make your blog better. Sign ups are still open and while they suggest spending 24 hours over the course of the blogathon don't feel like you can't sign up if you can't do the whole 24 hours. Do what you can or what interests you! 

             

Blessings!

Some Valentine Love

I've been thinking about how to decorate my mantel for February with a Valentine's theme.  I bought a huge X and an O and have been looking around Pinterest for ideas for how to finish them.  I found some adorable free Valentines fonts and decided to make a little something I could frame.  I used a word processing program and wrote I love you! many times and then changed the font for each.  Once I used all my new fonts I copied and pasted them until the page was filled.  Then I found a free clipart heart and there you go!  

Valentine Love

Blessings,

My New Thread Rack

I saw this thread rack quite a while ago and have been wanting one ever
since.
                 

One day my daughter and I were at JoAnn's and saw this thread rack that was originally $30.00 on sale at 50% off. It had a couple of loose boards so I asked if I could get any additional money off and got it for $7.00!  

 I took it home and transformed it into this!

I took off every other row, turned them around so the dowels went straight out, and hot glued them in place.

I had a heck of a time trying to get out the staples that were holding the wood on so I bought a strip of molding for $3.00 at Home Depot, cut them using a little saw, and hot glued the pieces to fill in the sections where the other rows had been. I took off the two pieces of wood that they had for standing it up since I was going to hang it on my wall. Then I spray painted the whole thing white.

 Now there are 6 rows across horizontally along with a place for the matching bobbin underneath. 

Before I got my new Viking I used a Singer which I loved but the zig zag wasn't working.  It only had TWO bobbins. They were a special type of bobbin and even when I ordered the ones I needed they just wouldn't work correctly so I would have to unwind and throw away thread all the time. I have to tell you I am pretty excited about buying extra bobbins for my machine and never having to change the thread out on a bobbin! :)

Here's to happy sewing!

Blessings,

Sewing Room Art

Fooling around on the computer last night trying to find some cute prints for my new sewing room and I came up with this. I uploaded it to Scribd (link is below) which I've never done before and could not figure out how to get the picture below without doing a screen shot. Days like this I really miss my daughter who would say "Mom, you just do this!" :) I don't even want to tell her that yesterday morning I probably spent 2 hours adding my rss feeds from our imac to my macbook. There must be an easier way... 

If you like it, feel free to download.   Any day spent sewing is a good day.  Sewing machine clipart compliments of the Graphic Fairy!

PS.  I decided to make one in lime green.  You can find it here.

Blessings,

Kathleen

Something is Brewing...

Two things actually. One is a surprise birthday party for my dad who is celebrating his 80th birthday tomorrow. There has been quite a lot of planning, cleaning, cooking, rearranging of furniture, and movie making going on over here! I was even able to find Happy 80 Birthday balloons at our local party store! My dad's siblings are coming in from out of town so he will be really surprised to see them!

The other thing brewing is a new batch of vanilla. I usually start a batch in May that is ready in December for Christmas presents. This year I decided to make a batch that will be ready in June to give as favors at our annual family reunion that my husband are hosting here in Maryland. It is really easy to make and taste so much better than store bought.   

1.  Ingredients - 2 1/2 gallon bottles of Vodka & a half pound of Madagascar Vanilla Beans.
2.  Cut the Vanilla beans lengthwise.
3.  Place cut Vanilla beans in a gallon size, glass jar. 
4.  Pour the 1st bottle of Vodka in.
5.  Pour the other bottle of Vodka in.
6.  Put the cover on and let brew for 6 months.

Ok, while the Vanilla brews I need to go finish 1 more tray of Baked Ziti for the party tomorrow!

Blessings friends!