In His Grip

Black Friday At Mall of America!

What a great day!  Who can beat black Friday at Mall of America?  There were crowds, there were lines, sales in most every store and from what I saw, this economy seemed to be alive and kicking.  The girls and I were at the mall all day.  There is nothing better than spending a day shopping with my girls.  We have no idea where the guys were all day, but they were busy and not rushing us as we shopped so we were good.      We finished up our day by meeting back up with the guys to eat dinner and to see Bolt 3D.  Great fun!!!!

Honey, I Shrunk the Girls

Going out for toilet paper can be an adventure in itself on Thanksgiving day in an unfamiliar city.    I decided one of the best hostesses gifts you can bring to a bachelor's apartment who is hosting 20 family and friends for Thanksgiving is a big package of toilet paper.  So we went on a hunt for an open store to buy the much needed staple.  While we were out I shrunk the girls.

 

Three Word Thursday

Family, fun, food!

Christmas Can Be Pink

Today I thought I would update my blog for the Christmas season.  Look at all of the pink ornaments I was able to find.  If you shop around, you will find that Christmas can be pink.  The Hubby is not that fond of the color so doing a pink Christmas here at home other than in the girl's bedrooms is out of the question.  Although we have one pink Christmas tree and a lot of pink ornaments, they keep themselves out of the main living areas.  But I am dreaming of a pink Christmas finding its way down the stairs and into the dinning room for next year.  But for now my pink Christmas will stay right here on my blog. 

Bass Pro Christmas

You can see Bass Pro from the highway in our area.  The other night on our way to dinner we could see that there was a winter wonderland on the inside.  So after dinner we went over to check out how Bass Pro is celebrating the holiday.  They have a great North Pole and of course the girls could not resist the temptation of participating just a little bit.  You just can never take the little girl out of those young women.   

Oh, and by the way, Santa Bergie, the girls thought this would look good parked next to your dune buggy.

Our Vacation Home

We can now say we own a vacation home!  Although you might call it a redneck version of a vacation home, afterall it is on wheels,  we are looking forward to our first big adventure.   My Hubby and two other guys that he works with have gone in together to purchase this great pop up tent trailer.  They have been talking about this for years.  Each guy realizing that they would not get enough use out of it to justify purchasing one on their own so they came up with the "Pop-up Co-op".  Saturday was the inaugural raising of the pop up, which actually went pretty well.  When you get three engineer types together they think they can figure anything out. Who needs the owner's manual? 

Jingle All The Way

The girls and I along with our good friend, Sheri, ran in the Jingle Bell Run.  Wow, it was cold to start with but after a couple of minutes you warm up pretty fast.    We had all these grand ideas to run with reindeer antlers, Santa hats, etc. but when it came right down to it they just got in our way.  We did go with the bells on our shoes though and I had Christmas music playing on my iPod too.  Lindsey, the little stinker, led the way, followed closely by Sheri, with Anna and I pulling up the rear.  What a great way to get in the spirit of things.

A Thanksgiving Poem

More Than A Day

As Thanksgiving Day rolls around,
It brings up some facts, quite profound.
We may think that we're poor,
Feel like bums, insecure,
But in truth, our riches astound.

We have friends and family we love;
We have guidance from heaven above.
We have so much more
Than they sell in a store,
We're wealthy, when push comes to shove.

So add up your blessings, I say;
Make Thanksgiving last more than a day.
Enjoy what you've got;
Realize it's a lot,
And you'll make all your cares go away. By Karl Fuchs

Three Word Thursday

Planning for Thanksgiving!

I Got Implants!

Okay, I am sure some of you are wondering what all the hub bub was around last week's Three Word Thursday.  This is it.  I got implants and that is what I was dared to put up as the Three Word Thursday.  You can call me chicken, I guess, because I am.  But I did not get "those" kind of implants.   I got implants in my tear ducts to block the drainage of tears from my eyes.  Apparently, you need tears in your eyes so that you can see.  I had no idea that my tears were that important, because I was sure I was going blind.  Seriously, I could not see anything and it was really bad at night and was just progressively getting worse.  But now because of the miracles of medical science I can see again.  I must have been having this problem for a long time because I have not been able to see this well in years.  So if you see me, don't be surprised if out of the blue I say, "I can't believe how good I can see."

The Disappointment of It All

On Sunday I was all signed up to go to a class at Urban Arts & Crafts.  The class was the Soldered Ornaments & Pendants class.  This is a craft I have admired for a long time and was so excited to get to learn something new.  We were on our way to the class when we got the phone call that the class had been canceled, bummer!  But if you are ever at the Briar Cliff Shops, you have got to stop by Urban Arts & Crafts.  The store itself just inspires my creativity and you know, that is free because that is just the kind of store it is.

Technical Difficulties

I have been having computer trouble over the last couple of weeks that came to a boiling point over the weekend.  That is the reason why I have not made any posts.  But I know this great computer guy who I dropped my laptop by this afternoon at 5:00 pm and he already has it ready to go.  Back to work tomorrow and updating my blog.  I love it when I know someone who can actually make this technology work.

Three Word Thursday

Enjoy the journey!

Fall is For Knitting

Every Fall I start knitting again.  I am a self taught knitter so my projects do not always turn out as expected.  They always end up way too big.  I know this so I try to make adjustments on the next project to only make it way too big again.  As a matter of fact this simple scarf that I am working on, is the third attempt to get it right.  It kept curling up and I wanted a flat scarf.  But after some trail and error, I figured it out.  After I finish this scarf, I will attempt matching mittens.  Like I said I am self taught so who knows if these will really be wearable items or not.  Here is what I did to make the scarf turn out flat.

Cast on 32.  Knit each row until it measures 1".  Row 1: K5 stitches, purl to the the last K5. Row 2: Knit across.  Rep rows 1 and 2 until you have the desired length.  Knit each row for one more inch.  Bind off. 

Child Labor?

This weekend my help came home to work on the BIG hotel job.  I love it when I get to work with someone because I am normally in my studio all alone day in and day out.  I realize how much I enjoy working and talking with someone else rather than just listening to my books on tape.  When I am working on these BIG jobs I will let anyone help out who is willing to use a sewing machine.  Maybe I need to check those child labor laws to see if I am violating any. 

Fun Work

 

There are days when the work that I do is just stinking fun.  Yesterday I worked on a great teenage girls bedroom.  This girl is going to have the coolest room in town.  She has a large window seat in her room and there will be the white cornice with the pink diamonds on it hanging over the window.  At the installation the designer has 2 1/2" round mirrors to put on the cornice where the diamonds come together.  Then there is the  pink cushion with the HUGE covered buttons on it and then those great striped pillows.  It has got be the coolest room ever.  Sometimes it is disappointing that I do not get to see the completed rooms that I work on.

Three Word Thursday

American history made

 

 

Calling In Reinforcements

Do you know what this is?  These are panels for a new hotel in town.  There are 208 panels of draperies that need to be shortened by November 13th.  Am I crazy to accept this job?  Yes, you might say that I am, but I have my trusty workers coming in this weekend to help with the big job.  We will have it done in plenty of time because my help is really good that way.

Living in The Fog

I regularly meet up with friends at our local Panera at 6:30am on Saturdays, but this past Saturday was so foggy.  My house is out past the street lights of town so the first mile or so all I could see was right in front of me.  Then as I got where the street lights were, all I could see was one street light in front of me and the one I just pasted in my rear-view mirror.  Although I drive this road many times each day, I became disoriented as to exactly where I was.  I could not see what was to the right or the left, just that next street light.  It made me think of how I go through life sometimes, not knowing what is to the right, left, or behind me, but just trusting God for that next light right in front of me.  Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  Psalms 119:105

Trunk or Treat

Okay, whoever thought up Trunk Or Treat needs a raise because I am sure they are not getting paid what they deserve.  We had the best time last night with over 600 little people along with their parents walking around our church parking lot to get their share of the goodies.  No worries about crossing the street.  No worries about navigated the stairs.  No worries about the grumpy people that live on all of our streets that wish Halloween never happened.  Just walking from trunk to trunk to get their goodies.  I am not sure who had more fun the trunkers or the treaters.  Here are a couple of pictures for our night.