My Serenity Garden Apron Set

Well, I'm ready to start posting beginning items to my Etsy store this weekend. The first item that I'll be setting up is my Serenity Garden Apron set. The apron is a medium size and it has a matching set of oven mitts and a hot pad holder. I just fell in love with this fabric line and some of the sentiments on it...

"Nurture your garden, nurture your soul."

"Serenity... A cup of tea in the garden."

... and so many more.

I like pockets big enough to hold what I try to put in them so I make them nice and full.

Carolina Elizabeth designed the original oven mitt pattern and then I adjusted (very typical) it to use piping, one of my great loves. They are smaller than most oven mitts but very flexible—that means that they will work well in the microwave as well as in a conventional oven. I find that the standard size mitt is just too big for my comfort level pulling stuff out of the microwave. The hot pad holder is 6" square and just a nice place to put a hot dish.

An interesting week...

Well, it's been an interesting week, to say the least!
Saturday was the Deluxe independent crafters show at the state fairgrounds. I was able to go and was very excited to meet the girls from SheezKrafty and see their beautiful work... even spent a little money! I had fallen in love with their switchplates on their blog and like them even more in the real world!

Sunday was Mother's Day and I got a wonderful gift in hearing that my two grandchildren in Alabama will be here for the month of June. Now that is a gift! And we got to talk to the kids! I also heard from our kids, grandkids and greatgrand kids in South OKC. All in all, a wonderful day!

Monday night (of course with lots of work to do) my computer started acting up. It looked and acted like the left arrow key was stuck so I ran to the closest Wal-Mart and picked up a new wireless keyboard & mouse set. Got home... set it up... still a problem. The only way to shut it down was power then I couldn't get anything so into the shop the computer went. I got it back and was able to set it up last night.

About 10 minutes after turning it on, we took a power hit and it burned out the CPU. Yup, it's been a grand week! I hadn't really planned on a new computer but looks like the good Lord had other plans for me.

Well, as you can see, I'm up and running again and hope to put up some new items soon.

Photos from the Land Run re-enactment

Well, here are two proud great-grandmas! These photos were taken after Mackenzie's class did their re-enactment to celebrate the Oklahoma Land Run. All the kids in the class had their lunches and most had a blanket and they started off from the start line to select and stake their "claim" (in this case it was the "plot" they were going to eat their lunch). Madison (pink gingham outfit) is in pre-K this year and so her class did not run but we all trooped around the entire schoolyard, each of the grades in order. Then each grade lined up and ran to stake their lunch space. A lot of great fun and a wonderful way to teach state history. Mackenzie's dress, apron/pinafore and bonnet were made from reproduction patterns and fabrics. It was not the bright cheery prints and colors that she usually wears but was very typical of the children's clothes at the time. Last year many of the kids were in costume but this year, Mackenzie was the only one in full costume. A couple of the kids had on cowboy hats and neckerchiefs but that was about the extent of it. I was very proud that she would want to wear her outfit when the others were not costumed. We sure had fun and it was great that Janis and I were able to join Kenzie, Maddie, little sister Kenadie and momma Anna for a fun lunch outing--such a great break from the office!

Good morning!

Spring is here! and hear! I hear some birds singing and other chirping; the wind (ever-present in Oklahoma) is blowing so I hear the leaves rustling; it rained last night, I went to the car and a gust of wind emptied the rain from the leaves... on me. So I changed. But it is so nice out and we really have needed the rain so I just can't bring myself to complain. I love it when it has the decency to do the raining at night!

I've been working on many projects but my camera gave up on me so I haven't been able to show you anything recently. One of the things I can show you is two more of the zentangles I've done... I am having so MUCH fun doing these. I hope you enjoy. Have a good day, y'all!

My Flirty Apron Swap package arrived!

I had the MOST fun Thursday! My apron arrived from my mystery partner in the Flirty Vintage Linen Apron Swap! I am attaching the photos that Kathy had on her blog of the apron I received ( thatallisongirl.blogspot.com) . The print has some purple in the flower petals since Kathy knew my favorite color is purple. She said that she searched for purple coordinating fabric but ended up using the blue gingham and it is so perfect! The little red hearts are buttons that are tied on with yellow floss--this is an embellisment I would not have thought of but it just completes and adds to the overall apron. It is beautifully made and fits to perfection--I am just so lucky. In the swap we also included a "vintage" recipe and I'm going to try out two of the ones that she sent, hopefully this weekend. I also received as a goodie and beautiful embroidered hand towel in the package... Kathy, it was wonderful and I love it!

Yesterday was the kids' school re-enactment of the Oklahoma Land Run. They all lined up and ran to stake their spot for our picnic lunch. Both Mackenzie and Madison had on their costumes–not many other costumes this year and no one else had "full dress". The others were just something like a hat and neckerchief; I was very proud that the girls wore their dresses when it made them "different." I'll be getting photos from Mom and post them right away--we all had fun and I enjoyed a break from the office to have lunch with them.

A few weeks ago, on the PAKART Alaska blog (http://pakartalaska.blogspot.com/, I saw a zentangle for the first time... and fell in love with it. I've been doing those and, golly gee whillikers, it makes me feel artistic! I've always wanted to do something graphic and can't draw a decent stick figure... seriously. But this I can do... it's like doodling on steroids. I think I'm even going to take their train-the-trainer session to learn how to teach this. Here is a zentangle that I have done; I've titled this one "Heart of My Hearts."

I have also been busy making some aprons and oven mitts to put on my Etsy site--almost ready now and I'll be showing those soon. I had to make the time to work on these around some marketing consulting work I'm doing--a great way to keep my hand in the marketing.

Could you use a good hand cream?

I've never had much use for hand creams or lotions—they always just sat on my hands without soaking in and left a film that I couldn't stand the feel of. Well, I had a friend ask me to try some and I fell in love with it and now I make my own! This is the only hand lotion that helps my hairdresser's hands not just survive but actually feel better and improve.

It's about as easy to make as could be... here are the original directions:

1 bottle of Baby Lotion

1 tube of Creamy Petroleum Jelly

1 bottle of Vitamin E Lotion

Put all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and whip on high with electric mixer about 3 to 5 minutes. Cover bowl and put in refrigerator AT LEAST overnight--24 hours is recommended*. Put into containers; can be stored at room temperature.
*the lotion must be refrigerated to keep it emulsified or it will separate at room temperature.

I buy my supplies at the local Dollar Tree—total cost = $3.00
Last time I couldn't find the Vitamin E Lotion at the dollar store and I was making a double batch so I used one bottle of Aloe Vera Lotion and one bottle of a moisture-bead type lotion. Everyone was very happy with the results... very light, pleasant scent.

I hope you enjoy this lotion if you try it. I've begun to just use it as a body lotion during our very dry winter.

Oh, I've been so busy!

Well, the last week has been pretty crazy for me. At work the monthly reports were due--that's always a major undertaking but we got them completed and submitted by deadline.

I finished the period costume (Little House-type dress, pinafore and sun bonnet) for Mackenzie's part in the Oklahoma Land Run celebration at ther school. We'll be

taking pictures of her in it in a week or two and I'll show them them.


Thursday I had oral surgery. It went really well but I still hurt when I laugh or smile! We had Easter brunch with the kids, grands and great-grands--LOTS of joy and laughter so I left there pretty sore. Sometimes I think it was a contest to make me laugh and watch me grab my cheek.

I've been participating in the Flirty Vintage Linen Apron Swap so that has been another project I finished as well as an apron for the organizer. The yellow, blue and green apron is for my secret swap partner. The package will include an apron (this is my own design), a pair of hot pad holders and a feedsack towel with some of the key fabric design appliqued on one corner. The vintage linen that I used was a tablecloth from the 20's (handmade); hemmed the center that had embroidery and pulled-thread work and made a food cover—we used to use these to cover food to keep off flies (before air conditioning and closed houses). The last thing in the package will be a "vintage" recipe--I am putting a family favorite for "end-of-the-money-but-not-end-of-the-month" timing, Bean Cups. This has been so much fun to put together.


I also made an apron and hot pad set for the swap organizer—that's the pink, white and black set.