New School Year, New Job!

Welcome to my home away from home! I have a new job in a nearby school system. Exactly a week ago today, I got a call to interview for a long term sub position for a teacher on pregnancy leave. The job started 8:00 a.m. on Monday morning, so I had less than 48 hours to absorb the changes in mine and my families lives. The good news is it is in my chosen field, Family and Consumer Sciences, so I get to teach Foods, Sewing classes and a teen life skills class.Pictured here are the foods and sewing rooms. I have a nice schedule, with only cafeteria duty that complements my class and conference time. Answered prayer for sure, as I have been praying for a full time job. I do hope it will go longer than a quarter, but only time will tell. I am having fun, and while there are many challenges being the new teacher, it has been rewarding. I'll revisit this comment in the future. For now, I am exhausted and grateful for a weekend of recovery. And I even had an etsy sale while I was busy at school. A full week for sure, daughter and friends are posed for their first day on Monday, as they ride bikes.

I am so happy that I will be helping with the bills again, and maybe I will also be teaching classes at a local quilt shop, PJ Palooza and Sew Crazy Club. September will get busy I am sure...

I haven't been reading my blogs or posting much lately, just too many adjustments. I am sure this will change as we all get comfortable with our routines. Some Tutorials will follow, stay tuned!

A Shower turned Wedding Surprise!

Exactly a week ago, Saturday night, hubby and I were invited to my nephew TJ and fiance Tiffani's wedding shower, at Clifton Beach, on Lake Erie.

We were expecting to nosh, and toast and watch them open their gifts, when they disappeared and reappeared in their formal wedding clothes, and a judge appeared in his robes as a platform was set up on the beach. Suddenly we were presented with champagne and we witnessed with tears of joy as they tied the knot in front of all their friends and family. The day had been rainy and muggy, but the sun broke through just as they set up for the ceremony, and most of their pics were against a beautiful sunset sky. We all couldn't believe how they pulled this off, even the bride and groom's mom's were caught off guard. What fun and excitement! I am so happy for them, and rather than a stuffy formal event, we were all in awe of how they were able to pull

it off.

God bless their marriage!

I wanted to include tutorials for the gifts I made the bride and groom, but didn't take pics in the right light. I bought a pie plate, potholders and towels, server and spoon, and used a vintage basket to assemble all the pieces. I lined the basket with fabric that coordinated with the greens of the towels. I created jeweled handled serving pieces by using a silver wire, wrapped with small white and crystal beads alternating with solid glass beads in different colors to coordinate with their kitchen ware and dishes. I printed a few of my family recipes and attached this with ribbon to the basket wrapped in plastic. The pie server looked especially sparkly, and I am sure will look good with anything they put it with.

The other shower I was invited to was earlier the same Saturday, and was for the upcoming birth of a friends baby. I checked with her, and I was delighted to hear that she was going with a monkey theme, and using colors of brown and green. I found a cute sleeper with a monkey monogram and monkee faces on the feet. Then I made a crocheted flannel blanket in brown, with red yarn, to coordinate with the sock monkey I made. Using the monkey face theme, I also machine appliqued on a burp cloth and taggy blanket I had in my etsy inventory. I put the whole thing in a small handled basket and tied monkey on with ribbon.

Michelle seemed quite tickled I had made this gift special for her and her baby. I don't have the tutorial pictured out, but I am including a link to the sock monkey instructions. I was fortunate to find a source for the socks on ebay. But I also found them last week at Pat Catans, the cost was about the same. I found out that they no longer make the socks, that there is a finite supply of them, so if you are ever considering making them, try to find a low cost source for the socks. I bought a set of two, my daughter wants me to make her an elephant out of the additional pair.

Hope you are having a great weekend, off to my sewing room, to clean house before the next production! Happy weekend!

Look what my daughter can do! And back to school contest!

She says this as she twirls around, sound familiar? She got a bit of the crafting bug from me. We couldn't find an affordable backpack for her, so we saw this big satchel at Target, it was plain to start. You can see it perched in the middle of some of the school supplies, without the embellishment.

All she did was choose some bright colors, including the polka dot. I stitched a piece of gauzy ruffle on one side of the fabric first, then we hand basted using embroidery thread, being careful not to seal up the large pocket. She sewed on the piece symbol from a broken necklace, and together we made a few of the fabric yo-yos with buttons in the center. The buttons looked so cute, we then sewed buttons on each of the large white polka dots on the fabric. It has a dimensional look now and it is very unique. I am sure we will sew more stuff on it as time goes on. What I can't believe is that we shopped her school list minus the 99.00 calculator, and we still spent a total of $70.00. This is for a middle schooler! We haven't begun to pay school fees yet, and of course, we need new shoes. I am so hoping for a paycheck job soon, or at least subbing again! It can't come soon enough!

Well I mentioned the contest. Go to my etsy site, and check out my Embellished Student Set. I will send this to the winner, (to give to a deserving student). Simply post that you went to my etsy site, saw the student set and leave a comment about what I should make more of. I haven't sold anything lately, and I am beginning to wonder if I should change my inventory for something more sellable. You be the judge! I appreciate your thoughts, whether or not you enter. Deadline for my drawing is August 21st, by 7:00 pm. This is on the eve of the last weekend before our school is back in session. I'll try to mail the set out promptly so your student can use it. Please specify boy or girl, I have one of each. Till them...

July Birthday Extravaganza

Ok, now you can see where most of my creative energies went these past weeks. Making stuff with mosaics was a pre-cursor to the big event which occurred this past weekend. My dad, George, officially turned 79 on Friday the 31st, but this past month also includes my brother and sis-n law's birthdays, my son's and also my dear departed niece, whom we remembered as well on our combined birthday cake. My whole fam damily came in to town for the celebration, which started at my house. You can see my decorating efforts in the way of using up scrap fabrics and boxes of seam binding. I like the way the banners take the eye away from the porch roof under construction. The only problem was that most of my family are taller than me, so some effort was needed to walk safely around.

You can see the obligatory fun gifts, wine with my dad's surname on it, cake with everyones name, so they got a piece that really was theirs! A special shout-out to my favorite baker, Sandy at A Venue Bakery in Lakewood, she generously added a cookie and treats container to our cake order!

I crafted a pill case for my dad, extra large for all those vitamins, with each of his grandchildren's pictures on them, (mod-podged) of course.

Here is a link to a gal who is running a contest on Modge Podge Mania , I think my little project above qualifies! I included his special child, Sammy, the wonder dog, though no one had a picture of him, I had to take it from the internet!

My sis, Jean shown with my son Kevin, opening his How to be a Genius and How to Fake It, or something like that! Step mom Ingrid with my shy daughter, and her Great Grandchild Zora.

Kate really likes holding the baby, she is very squirmy at 8 months!

And the next night, we gathered at my dad's home. Here you see the proud grandparents, of Zora, Jean and Clyde, all the way from Greenville, SC. I can't wait to be a grandparent too, but I have to insist my daughter grow up and become a doctor first, right Kate?

We had a wonderful time, and had to say goodbye last night, as everyone gets up early to get out of Dodge, so to speak...a long day of driving. Safe travels!

Next time, watch for a giveaway, I am overdue for some contest fun!

A family portrait, my side of the family, smaller than hubbies, but no less noisy!