Handmade gifts...

I think I have done handmade gifts for the kids teachers for the past few years now.  Last year I had a ton of stuff left over from the Cecil Floyd craft show so they picked out matching sets of Makeup bags, checkbook covers, mini zips and key fobs.  I didn't make anything specifically for the teachers though.  This year they helped by picking out the color zipper they wanted first, then they picked out fabric to match and I made these zip pouches.  These are for the boys teachers

Another Monday...

I just realized that I haven't posted since last Monday!  I didn't realize it had been that long.  I really didn't do much last week.  I got a couple orders done, but I ran out of fleece on Thursday so I wasn't able to do any more.  Luckily, I anticipated that I was going to run out so I ordered a bolt early in the week and it should be here today.  I have had some trouble getting the type of fleece I use at Joann so I just ordered it.  They haven't been stocking the one I use so I have been buying another one that cost more, but isn't as sturdy.  I have no idea why something that's less would cost more...anyway, I ordered the kind I like and I only had a couple days of waiting.

Some odds and ends...

This is just going to be a random post full of all the odds and ends that have been going on here lately.  It's been so long since I had a regular post that I need to catch up!

{ Pink Punk }
I feel like I have been on kind of a vacation.  I had a couple of weeks where I only got a couple of new orders so when I caught up to that point my work slowed down.  It's been kind of nice though.  I have 2 older orders (less than a month, but older than the rest) that needed embroidery but one of the places I take embroidery to was pretty much destroyed in the tornado and the other one was without power for a couple days.  I was able to take it in the beginning of this week so it's ready to pick up this morning.  I was also waiting on a big fabric order that was delayed a day or so because of the holiday on Monday.  I got it yesterday evening and I have it almost all pre-washed and ready to go.  So, I will be back to my regular work today!  In the meantime here is what I have been working on.

 I made these fabric boxes to store all my smaller bits of fabric so I can find and use it!

 

I drafted and tested a pattern for a makeup brush roll...

 

 Then I used up some of my smaller bits of fabric to make all of these Makeup Brush Rolls and I put them in my store.  They are all done and ready to ship.

 I know you probably know how much I love nail polish...well I needed something to put all my most used polishes in.  I sketched out this bigger size fabric tray last night and whipped it up in no time out of 2 fat quarters.  Isn't it pretty?!!  I am going to make some smaller ones to put on my dresser for earrings and other smaller things.  I may even make some to put my sewing stuff in...

{ Home Stuff }

The kids got out of school 2 weeks early because so many of the district schools were damaged or destroyed in the tornado.  It's been a LONG 2 weeks and at this rate it's going to be an even longer summer.   When they are all 3 together they do not get along most of the time.  Pretty much any combination of 2 is good and they get along and play good, but add that 3rd one in and they are at each others throats.  We are going to have to figure out something though....

We are trying to eat at home as much as we can this summer.  It's getting to the point that it's just way too expensive for us to all eat out so I am cooking more and more.  During the school year since they eat 2 meals at school we don't spend nearly as much on groceries, but Jake and I were eating out almost every day for lunch so really we were spending the same amount if not more!  So, the kids and I sat and came up with what we wanted to eat all week, we made a list and shopped.  My dishwasher is working overtime and I haven't cooked this much in a long time, but in the long run we are saving....I think!

 

{ Entertainment }

I started watching Stargate: Atlantis a couple weeks ago and I can't stop!  I am halfway through season 4 now and there are 5 seasons so I am almost done.  I think it's because I have been watching so many of them at night that I haven't really read anything for awhile.  It's been almost 2 weeks since I have read anything on my Kindle.  It's the longest I have gone without reading for probably 3 years!  It could also be because I was in between books and I wasn't really into anything.  I will get back into it though, I can't go too long without reading!

Jake and I just finished Season 2 of Justified too.  We will probably start a new series this weekend, probably Shameless, we have been hanging on to that one and it won't take us too long to get through it since it's only one season.  I am itching to start Deadwood though so I can get my Timothy Olyphant fix!

Well, I need to get ready to go pick up my embroidery before Jake has to leave for work at 11:30.  Have a great weekend!

Secret Projects...

Well at least one secret project anyway!  That's what I worked on most of the day yesterday.  I didn't even get to the bag I wanted to do.  I will get that done today though!  This is a little sneak peak of what took up my day yesterday.  Yep, that little stack of yumminess got turned into something pretty, but I can't share it yet.  I don't know when I will be able to share it, but it's worth the wait...at least I think it is!  Aren't those colors just awesome?  I just love them and I hated to take the ribbon off that Honey Bun, they always look so pretty all rolled up like that!  This Tula Pink Neptune is a beachy and warm, I think I am going to have to make myself something with the leftovers!

So today I have errands to run.  I need white thread, I am all out and I go through it like crazy.  I also need fleece and we have to get tubes for both boys bikes and a tire for Dillon's bike.  It's been so nice and warm lately that they want to ride bikes to school, but they can't so they have been walking instead.  It's so nice to only live a few blocks from the school!

I have been having an awful time with my web browser.  I have used Firefox for years now and I upgraded to FF 4 last week and ever since then it's been dogging down and making everything SOOO slow.  They say it's supposed to run faster, yada yada....but it never does for some reason!  So, this morning I deleted it and went back to FF 3.17 or something.  I am sure I will have to upgrade again soon, but hopefully by that time they will have worked out whatever kinks are hanging it up.

In work news, I sat down and worked out my schedule for the next few weeks and at the rate I am going I could be all caught up in about 2.5 weeks!  That, of course, would only happen if I got no more orders, but right now it feels good to be somewhat ahead of schedule.  I have one order that's not a bag order and I am excited to see how it's going to turn out.  It's for drapes and pillows for my cousin-in-law who just turned 16!  It's all pinks and pretty colors...I am excited to see what I can come up with for the pillows, the drapes are may be a  bit daunting, but I am sure they will be easier than what I am expecting.

Well, I guess I should go make sure I have everything on my list that I need to get today so I don't have to make an unexpected run to town.  Have a great day!