The needed vacation...

I got to visit my parent's home for the weekend and was so glad we had time to run out to Boca Grande (on Gasparilla Island). Not only did I come home with a whole bunch of venus clams but just smelling the salt air, if even for only a couple of hours, really improved my outlook on life. Of course I did find my next home for sale... now just where to get the $1.2 million to buy it!

I want it!

This evening I was fiddling around with my artfire account when my eye got caught by an ad...

The Sew Essentials Quilter's Design Table:

I was drooling before my mouse even clicked on the picture.

Open dimensions: 56-1/4''x29-3/4''; Closed 47''x15-7/8''x29-3/4''

Designed for quilters, this Quilter's Design table has a fold out table with 1'' grids for extra work space as well as a roll-out serger storage shelf. Locking casters for added security.

Yes, I know, I just bought all of that furniture from Ikea - but this table even matches... once I finish the last 7 boxes, I'll be measuring to see if I can fit this in there, too.

Mail

Monday night, I stayed up late putting in a huge order of supplies... getting ready for a marathon of making during the summer to get ready for fall shows. I've been so excited wondering exaclty how big the box I've ordered will be when it comes in the mail, I feel like I can barely sleep (now this order is approx 5.5 times larger than any other bulk order I've done, so I guess it is alright to pretend I am 5 waiting for my on special present).

Anyway, today the box wasn't here (it isn't supposed to be delivered until Saturday, so not sure why I was getting worked up on the "just in case").

But something else good came in the mail - the first issue of my new subsription to Real Simple. I believe I have a magazine addiction - way too many subscriptions. I'm starting to wonder if that's partly why I have no time to read books anymore?

This weekend's present to myself!

What weekend isn’t great if you start with a present for yourself?

And this isn’t my normal type of beautiful stone/fossil/or shell to add to my jewelry-making-supplies collection… This was just something I have wanted for a couple of years and I finally broke down and bought:

The only problem with it was the directions for putting it together... I could write for hours about how bad they were, but since I finally did get it together, I am happy. My brother and I were able to make a few passes on it

and now I've got some new shelves to show off as soon as I get the camera outside :)

Why is it always trash?

Oh, tell my why do you always choose trash? Over the toys you have all over the house... the toys I trip over, toss for you clean up debris from regularly...

Yet, stealing trash seems to make you the happiest?

Brownie Tips from Alton Brown

Do you ever watch Alton Brown's Good Eats? My husband just recently introduced me to his show. Between his show and an easy recipe in self magazine, I now label myself as a woman who can cook (a year or so ago, I was a woman who knew how to reheat!)

We must have been watching a chocolate marathon on the food network, becuase at least four shows in a row were about chocolate. What I took away from show #3 was Alton's tips on doing your brownies... Now me, a known chocolate addict, thought I should try immediately.

Doing the brownies part 1: spray pan with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper (cooking spray is only to hold onto the parchment paper until you get the batter in) Brownie tip part 2: Remove brownies from pan while still hot with nice parchment paper sling (Yes, this worked very well, except for the one corner that wasn't cut straight and the piece fell off. I ate it, so you don't have to worry about it going to waste.)

Brownie tip part 3: Use your pizza slicer to make clean cuts in your brownie. (Now, I didn't think it made the brownies cut any cleaner, but it was 100 times easier than using a knife.)

So, my end result still had messy brownies... but I'll eat messy brownies any day :)

Saint Patrick's Day

I had a friend ask me what I was making [jewelry-wise] for Saint Patrick's day... and then I thought, what am I making - I've never done clovers before...?

So sitting in front of the TV, I drew this (interupting my husband's viewing of the Colbert Report) and held it up to my neck to see if hubby thought it was the right size and could tell what it is supposed to be:

(the "what it is supposed to be" is a new litmus test I've been using because I discovered I don't see some things the same way as others.)

And here's what came out when I played with the wire and a green glass bead:

Now, it just needs a jump ring and a green ribbon necklace.

Awww... Bunny

In my back yard... it has been more than a year since I've seen one there. I didn't get to see him long because the little ferocious fuzzy beast that runs my house was getting a bit too much spittle on the window, and I closed the blinds.

Snow... Again...

Snow, snow, go away! If only I could sleep through my days like Libby!

Birthdays...

In my family, presentation of a birthday present is half of the present itself. Even for the young kids make sure a gift, whether it was from the Dollar Tree or created out of a toilet paper roll, is nicely wrapped complete with homemade bow.

I'm not exactly sure how my husband took it the first year he met my family, but now he loves to join in the fun. Although he cares more about wrapping the gift such that you have no idea what could be inside...

Like this rocket here...It contained a necklace from Linda Searcy Jewelry Design, a member of the Handmade Highway.

A Box of Nostalgia

Those boxes hiding in the closet that you only go through every few years when you are on a big cleaning/get rid of unnecessary stuff...

Here's what I found in mine today that made me smile with memories :)