Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Send a free postcard to the troops overseas

Send a free postcard to the troops overseas

Monday, November 30, 2009

Things I've sewn & quilted

So I just posted about a fabric giveaway from the Sweet Home Quilt Co. and I started thinking about all the things that I've sewn or quilted over the past several years... anyhow I remembered that I have a few pictures on my computer so I thought that I would share them, that is if I can figure out how to post pictures with my text.

This is an autumn wall hanging, I bought a quilting magazine just for this one pattern, and I had a great time making it... I, of course, put my own touches on it by using different colors for the leave stems & not adding the suggested buttons on the flower centers.



This little flag is from a book called (I think) Fat Quarter Friendly.  It was a pattern that I looked at every time I opened the pattern book, and finally I felt brave enough to try making it.  I didn't quilt the stripes in wavy lines as the pattern suggests because I like to "stitch in the ditch" but otherwise I made this quilt exactly.

This is a pic of my oldest son Joseph, but the orange fleece jacket is what I made.  One year for Halloween, both my older boys decided they wanted to be "Deer Hunters;"  so I made each of them an orange fleece hooded zip-front jacket using the Children's Kwik Sew pattern book.  They wore those jackets everywhere for a year or longer afterwards.


This is a darling little dress that I made for a friend's daughter.  I figured that if I wasn't going to get a daughter at that point in time, then I would just fulfill my baby-girl-dress-making craving by sewing for another baby girl.  Many thanks to Shane & Cammy Winder for letting me use their daughter Alana (sp?) as the recipient of my sewing.  ;)


This is my son Taw in the blessing outfit I made for my 2nd son Cole, a miniature satin Tuxedo.  As you can see, it kind of drowns him and he's not any too happy about wearing it.  When Cole wore it, I had to skip putting fastenings and pinned him into the top; I think that Cole was about 11-12 lbs. when he wore it, and Taw couldn't have been more than 8 lbs. on this day.  Below are pics of the outfit I made for Taw, his Blessing Outfit is completely white, and Cole's has pale blue lapels & a matching stripe down the outside of the pants.




 
 




Taw's Blessing Tuxedo is also different from Cole's in that the jacket has buttons on the front and the shirt part has buttons sewn in the lace, and the pants have a white satin ribbon sewn down the outside (I think).  I made one almost identical to Taw's (but without the buttons) for my neice's son, he is 3 days younger than Taw.
I've been thinking about trying to sell some of these; I've gotten really good at making these lovely little suits; any takers?

Friday Giveaways

Now before you get all excited, I'm not the one who is doing the Friday Giveaways (someday I might though).  No indeed!  It is the Sweet Home Quilt Co. and you should definitely go here (Sweet Home Quilt Co.) to check out the fabulous piece of fabric she is giving away this month!  I really doubt that I'll win, but I can certainly hope & dream & wish for it, right??

Now granted, my sewing & quilting has nearly come to a standstill these past several months but I still enjoy looking at & petting fabric and thinking of what fun things could be made from them.

=) Gayle

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

A comment on US Military

Sometime last week I came across this website called Any Soldier.  On it you can request the names & addresses of members of US Military.  I do recommend that before you send any letter [or package should you desire to do so], that you read all the FAQ's and comments provided on the website.  Then request an address or two (allowed 2 a day up to 10 a month per household), and let our US Servicemen & women know that you support them in what they are doing.  I plan to send off a copy of the Vernal Express newspaper form last week (because it was Veteran's Day) with the letters I mail this week.

I mention this because my ward (Maeser 3rd Ward, Maeser Utah LDS Stake) is going to do a Humanitarian project where we write to several and even send some packages to some of the more needy squads.

Anyhow, go check it out, maybe you can find someone to write to as well.  Granted, they would really like to get a package, but from my own experience (based on my husband's say so), many of these soldiers would jsut be happy to get a letter from someone too.  You see, not all of the soldiers in the US Military have someone back home who is interested in writing to them.  Can't you provide a bit of support from "back home," especially as the calendar heads into the "Giving Season?"

=) Gayle

In the throes of yet another...

...miscarriage! 
Yup, this makes for two in a row.  I don't know if my body just can't handle being pregnant anymore or if Heavenly Father is trying to renege on his promise to me of 2 daughters... but right now it doesn't matter too much.  What does matter is that I have recognized the need of my body for a rest, so today or tomorrow I'm going to go fetch a packet [from the pharnacy] of birth control pills.  I'll take The Pill for 2 months then again start trying to conceive in January sometime between my bday & Dh's bday (mine's Jan 12, his Jan 25).

...mouse war!
Actually it's the same one, and while we haven't seen any lie mice for a long time, we still see dead ones on the floors in odd spots.  However the smell is still around in various rooms (my boys' room just recently started smelling mouse-y), so I know that the stinky little beasts are still around.

...cold spell!
The funy thing is, at least it's funny to me, that the sun shines on while it's not above 35 degrees Farentheit.  So my boys see that the sun is shining and think that it's warm enough to go play without a coat... off they run out the door & not 2 minutes later, they are back shivering.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Being a Mom means to me...

...very moist kisses, sticky fingers, smelly diapers, mountains of laundry waiting to be washed, piles of dirty dishes, crumbs on freshly vacuumed floors, clothes strewn everywhere, begging for unnecessary items when we go to the grocery store, complaining, fights, whining about having to do chores, having the TV most mornings tuned to a PBS channel, demands for snacks 10 minutes after a meal is over, insisting, "but Mommy, I don't like that!" at dinner-time and watching said child flop over sideways in an effort to ignore his plate, soft voices saying "I love you Mommy," and knowing that I have charge of these precious little ones (sometimes a HUGE burden), but also knowing that I can turn to our Heavenly Father in prayer when I need help... also means that come Sunday I can put them in Primary and Nursery so I can also get some spiritual renewal from my own church classes.

You might be wondering why this topic, well a few minutes ago I was reading the weekly newspaper and there's a story in there about a young couple who've been married about 8 years, and are wanting to adopt a child.  I have children, though for the longest two years I really thought I wasn't going to be able to have any, and while I may not understand their pain in discovering they can't have children, I do think that I can understand the desire for one.
Go read their story for yourself at www.joshandsavannahadopt.blogspot.com, and if you feel like it, perhaps you could leave them an encouraging message.

=) Gayle

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Handmade Soap & other bits of non-wisdom

So I have been looking through the blogs listed on the blogs that I'm following (confusing thought wasn't that?), and I just realized that the one blog that I have spent the most time on in the last hour has been one where she sells her handmade soaps.  I think that I have been sufficiently tempted and I think I shall also cave in and buy her Honey of a deal for the holidays! on the Honey Oat and Goat milk soap - the pic looks just lovely, a creamy white oval with the honey and oats in the center.

However, this isn't the only place where I have been looking at handmade soaps.  Deep Creek Soap Crafters is another, though I first met up with them during this summer at the Ashley Valley Farmer's Market.  I recently went up to their house (they live a few miles from me up on Dry Fork Canyon Road) to buy a chunk of the best-ever-smelling soap, Pumpkin Spice; it reminds me of when my mom would make pumpkin pies in the fall.  It was my intention to cut it in half and give a portion to my sister-in-law when we were staying with them during our Deer Hunting Expedition, but... well I forgot to take it with me.  [However, I will rectify this come Thanksgiving time.]  Anyhow, I have also bought a chunk of their 'Love Spell' soap as well as a tub of their 'Love Spell' body butter -- it smells heavenly, though my hubby doesn't like it much for some reason.  *shrugs* Oh well, his loss not mine!  I shall keep wearing it... besides it certainly keeps my skin feeling moist.

Anyhow, the reason for this post is that I was considering making a few purchases today from Save on Scents, including getting a few of their "sniffies" and then a big vat of peppermint oil to help keep the mice beasties away (my tiny 5 ml. bottle being empty).  I have also toyed with the idea of making my own soaps and lotions, especially now that I don't have to make them from scratch, but I can buy the bases and add my own scents; it would be fun to experience at least.
I might even go pay another visit to FragranceNet.com and enjoy a look at Elizabeth Arden's 'Sunflowers' products to see what all they have.  I only recall seeing hand lotion and body butter, but I think they had something else too.

Speaking of fragrance though, now is the time to change a smelly diaper.

=) Gayle

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Did you know...? The continuing mouse saga

Did you know that mice naturally avoid mint? I have been putting peppermint oil on cotton balls in my drawers, and have been thinking about buying some seeds to grow fresh mint.
I've got to remember to buy some peppermint oil this week after payday.  I found this great website [Save On Scents] where you can buy bulk essential oils for a relatively small price.  Peppermint oil is about $20 for 16 oz, now that's my kind of pricing, especially since my small bottle of peppermint oil emptied while I was working on the first set of drawers, in the kitchen.

You might wonder why this subject is on my mind just now, well a few mintes ago I turned from my kitchen to step into the dining area to grab my book and nearly stepped on a mouse.  As I was on my way to go change Taw's diaper, I quickly dropped an empty dirty food container on it, then slid a folded sheet of paper under it, and scooped up  the whole thing; it is waiting for me in the boys' bathroom while I decide what I'm going to do with it (probably drown it like I did with mouse #2).

Anyhow, I just realized that while I have no more peppermint oil [for now], I do have this powerful-smelling peppermint foot lotion, so I think that I will pull out the stove & squirt some next to the small electrical box where I found the beginnings of a hole yesterday during my cleaning.  Then, well, I'll go deal with the mouse.

Mice: 0, Mom: 3

=) Gayle

Taking a break today...

For the last 3 days I have been working in or cleaning up mice droppings.  Both all day on Saturday and on Monday, I have been working hard to get my house cleaned and all the mice droppings I can find vacuumed up so we a) don't smell them anymore and b) so the mice don't feel the need to come back to frequent that area.  I didn't know that if you just sweep or vacuum up the mice droppings but don't wash or mop the area, then mice will come back to that area.  So I have been scrubbing with bleach water the floor behind my stove, all the drawers in my kitchen & dining area, and all over my utility room -- I realize that this doesn't sound like much, but I have also been cleaning the contents of the drawers too.  Lots of vacuuming, sneezing, moping, scrubbing, sneezing, coughing, verbally & mentally cursing those smelly little beasts, well you get the picture.  Now I did say I've been working in this crap for 3 days, so on Sunday...
I realize that most of us don't usually do much cleaning on Sundays but we skipped church to "get the ox out of the mire" -- or in other words, SERVICE: we were helping Jackson's sister clean out her storage units. 
Why you might ask? Because Jackson's brother-in-law hasn't been working for several weeks and they can't afford to keep paying $400/month to store every toy and piece of clothing their kids wore & played with, not to mention the 100+ boxes of books & magazines that will never be read again; did I tell ya about the 2 pallets of 6 gallon buckets full of food storage they're hanging onto until they really need them (no time like the present I think, but I guess they are waiting for the Millenium to come before they use any of it.  [I see food storage as something you acquire and then you use it as you need it -- I tend to use most of mine in the winter, but this economy would be a good reason to use it if you or your spouse's income has been reduced or eliminated.  I'll probably post about food storage another time, it's one of my peeves.]

So after having had showers every night for the past 3, and no I don't usually shower every day just because my skin becomes so dry, and then waking the next morning being so badly congested that I feel like a walking kleenex box with all the tissues hanging out of my pockets just so I can blow my nose at any given moment.

Tomorrow... well it'll be back to the smelly mess.  I probably will spend some time today vacuuming my floors and around the furniture in my living room.  I also need to re-arrange my family/toy/woodstove room to accomodate the kindling box, woodbox & coal buckets, plus my hubby's stationary bike (a worthless item in our house).

=) Gayle

Friday, October 30, 2009

How does one add a button to the blog layout?

Anyone??  I suppose I should go through layout, but I admit to being aptly confused about the whole thing.  *sighs*  Oh well, I guess I jsut keep looking  through all the gadgets; unless of course somone wants to help me out??

=) Gayle

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Joseph's Birthday

Howdy ya'll!!

Well, it's Joseph birthday today... though to be technical he won't be officially 7 until 6:22 pm.
We're not having a party for him with all of his friends, this Mom is too sick to pull it off this year with this cold I've got (I'll be lucky to get the boys' costumes finished), but we are having a family party after a fashion.
For now though, it's time to get into my clothes for the day & get the grapes washed & collect the cheese sticks -- for Joseph's birthday treat. I figure these kids get plenty of sugary stuff this time of year, so I'm going to snip several pounds of grapes into small bunches, then also offer string cheese sticks as well -- Western Family 5/$1 at Davis Jubilee this week.

Lots to do, so I'm off. Later today I will make him a White Chocolate cake and Lasagna as per his request.

Taw needs his morning "ba" too and some fever reducer too going by his wails.

=) Gayle

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Dollar Stretcher e-books sale

Now many of you probably know by now that I like doing frugal thrifty things... plus that sort of thing is almost a necessity nowadays with the economy the way it is.
Anyhow as I was reading my daily email from Living On A Dime, I noticed that they were posting about a sale that Dollar Stretcher is having on their e-book collection for just $12.50 (normally $19.95), so I thought I would post about it for those few people who read my blog to check out. I prefer real books over e-books, mainly because I'm running out of space on my old desktop (and I don't ever remember to buy CD's when I'm at the store) and also because I like to read stuff like this when we're camping, or late at night when I can't sleep -- times when I'd rather not fire up this old beast, plus I'm too poor to print off dozens of pages.

For now, I'm going to take my baby and go lay down. Maybe I can stop coughing so hard long enough to sleep for a few minutes before my 2 busy boys get home from school & start demanding to go to the Maeser Elementary Halloween Carnival tonight, something I'm just not up to doing today... didn't get their costumes completed yet either.

Gayle

What's with all this wind??!!

I just got home from town, and walking across the Kmart parking lot, the wind nearly blew me off my feet.
I have been sitting here watching the wind blow my tarps all over my garden and knock stuff over in my neighbor's yard.
If the wind wasn't enough, it's cold too! Really really cold! Like the actual temperature is at freezing (32*F), but the windchill has got to be more like 5 or 10 degrees colder... hmm I'll just check on Accuweather all you have to do is type in your zip code and it gives you accurate weather info for your area.

Anyhow, it's nice to be inside, though my windows are leaky (there's a good draft blowing through next to me) and we need to get the storm windows put up, and while my Dh offered to put them in before he left for work, well the permanent windows need to be washed. So as soon as I remember where I put the Windex, I'll be washing windows. Until then though, I think I might take Taw and go lay down -- 4 hours of sleep just wasn't enough, plus I think that my cold is getting worse.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

"Baby, it's cold outside!"

I'm sitting at the computer over by the window, and my fingers are chilled.
The Today Show is playing in the background, and every so often they break for the weather -- KSL Weather keeps saying that it's going to snow here today. The weather pattern they show indicates that the Uintah Basin is going to be right down the middle of the snow coming (it's already snowing in SLC), plus we get to have more snow tomorrow -- not a good thing when your spouse's job is driving! Our high today for Vernal is 50*F and the low for tonight is supposed to be 26*F -- now I live in Maeser, so our low will be 3 or 4 degrees colder than Vernal.
LOL, the funny thing is that when I was listening to the radio (98.5), they said that the high today wasn't going to be above 40 degrees -- both the radio & TV agree that it's going to be windy though.

I guess it's time to get dressed (I'm still in my flannel jammies), and get outside -- to hang the extension cord to plug in the dog house light, to get the cases of "free" water [from my brother Glen] out of the back of our white truck, to gather up hoses & garden tools & anything else I've forgotten about, and most of all to get some wood so I can get the fire going again.

Back in the house, I'll be getting some apples cooking to make applesauce, and of course continuing in my battle against the never-ending laundry pile.

=) Gayle

Friday, October 23, 2009

Just thinkin...

Hi Ya'll!

I'm sitting at the computer in my brother's kitchen typing away. I had to check my bank balance to see if the check i wrote a couple of days ago had cleared yet, it hasn't. so I DECIDED TO SEe if I could remember my password to my blog here, apparently I did since here i be...

So for now I'm just thinkin' about all the events of the past weeks, between the continuous constipation/diarrhea battle of my youngest son Taw to the deer I killed on opening morning [of the Utah Deer Hunt] Oct 17th to the miscarriage I had a few weeks ago... *sighs* Speaking of the diarrhea, I need to go quickly change a diaper now. I'll be back another time to apply a few more not-so deep thoughts.

=) Gayle

Monday, October 12, 2009

Check out this cute onesie

http://crapivemade.blogspot.com/2009...ie-onesie.html
I got the link from a message board I go to: www.friendsandfamilies.com.

I think that if I can find a long sleeved white knit onesie then I'm going to make one of these for Taw. Maybe even make a few for gifts as as few of my friends have just have baby boys. I could make onesies with Sunbonnet Sue on the front, like with the dishtowels I made & sold at the Farmer's Market (Vernal, UT) this summer.
If I get really ambitious, I might even post pics of the things I made & sold at the Farmer's Market too... but don't get too hopeful yet. I still have plenty of canning & procrastinating left to do to keep me busy.

=) Gayle