Tomorrow is the First Day of October in 2013

Why is this important?

One of the most important reasons is that

October

is

Breast Cancer Awareness 

Month.

Ladies,

we have to take care of ourselves.

If we don't take care of ourselves,

who will.

Be sure to 

check your boobies 

and

if you are 40+

schedule your annual 

mammogram.

Now, how do we serve as reminders to each other?

Make this resolution with me.

I resolve, 

on each day of October,

to wear or use something pink.

I'll be posting ideas

starting

tomorrow.

I Heart Macro - Autumn

I Heart Macro!

Focus on Life - Week 39 - Your Best Shot

Best Shot

Three Beautiful Things This Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

1)  Even though I've spent the last week and a half in bed with this virus, I have been able to play with the apps on my phone.  I've learned a lot, but I would have rather been doing other things.

2) I've learned a little bit of humility this week, too.  When I realized that an organism as small as a virus is could make me so sick, I stepped back to look at this cell with new eyes.  I am truly humbled.

3)  Pixie has enjoyed me staying home and laying down near her.  Her eyes of love watching me make me feel wonderful!

Easy Peasy Crochet Necklace Tutorial

Would you like to make this crochet necklace?  You can do it.  All you need to know how to do is a simple chain stitch.

Here's what you need.

Nylon crochet cord size 3
Crochet hook Size H/8
Seed Beads
Assorted Beads
(I used some of my orphan lampwork beads for this necklace.)














Here's what you do:

1) String one yard of beads on your cord.  I left the cord on the spool.  I did not cut it until the necklace was finished.   The pattern I used was 8-15 seed beads, one orphan bead.  I did this until I had one yard of beads strung on the spool.

 

2) I began the necklace with 5 chains, then I added a bead.  The pattern I used was 5 chains, crochet one bead.

3) At times, I would crochet two seed beads together, rather than just one, for visual interest.

4) I chained until all of the seed beads were crocheted on to the cord.  

5) I joined the ends together with a single crochet.  I then knotted the end, adding a drop of glue to secure the knot.

At this point, you can trim the ends.  I had about 6 yards of chain in this necklace.  When the knot is dried, stretch the crochet.  Fold and wear.

 

Fun and easy to do!!

 

My Favorite IPhone Photo App - Percolator

Using this app,

I can take this picture

and

transform it into

this,

then

then,

this

and,

last, but not least,

this

 

Now, how fun is that?

Which filter is your favorite?

Playing with IPhone Photo Apps

I love playing with photo apps on my IPhone.

Today I used an app called

Camera Bag

and

Group Shot.

Camera Bag has some great filters to use.

Guess who my model was?

She wasn't in the mood to pose, so she just lay there and let me take her picture.

This filter is called

Instant.

This filter is called

Original

This filter is called

Infared

This filter is called

Fisheye

This filter is called

Silver

This filter is called

1962.

Then, I put them all together, in just a few seconds with

Pic Collage.

Kind of cool, huh?

I guess being sick does have some advantages.

Kular - Huh?

I guess you could call it fun?

Well, at least, it's been breaking up the boredom of being sick.

I have been spending more time on Facebook, and I happened to be lucky enough to see a post by Jennifer Geldard about an Iphone app called

Kular.

I love this app!

I haven't been able to use it as fully as I would like, but, when I feel better and go down to torch, 

I will use it.

So, what does Kular do?

Using the camera of your Iphone,

you aim.

Little dots of color pop up.

When you see the combination you like,

you hit the check mark,

and you have your very won color palette.

Here are some of the color palettes, I have come up with using Kular.

Most of these have come from my bedroom.

Yes, I was bored!

I do recommend this app, though!

The first day of Fall!!!

Happy Fall!

I Heart Macro! Of Quilts and Cowls

I Heart Macro!

Focus on Life - Week 38 - A Quiet Moment

A quiet moment between stitches!

Three Beautiful Things this Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

1)   Bumps in the weather, but a reminder autumn is only a few days away.  What a relief from the heat!

2) Feeling bummed because I have to miss the Beads of Courage event in the Twin Cities.  However, thankful that there are great people there to take over and the knowledge that the event will be a success.

3) I'm glad I'm feeling better now.  I don't like being sick, but I am better now.

Arrrrrrrrgh! It's talk like a Pirate Day!!!!

Arrrrrrrggggg, Mateys!

Ahoy!  With a pirate like this, I will gladly talk like a pirate any day!!!  Arrrrrrrgggggg!

Aye!  That I will!

I found a great page so that you can learn to talk like a pirate.   This page teaches you the language and the translation  of the words. 

Click
HERE
to go to that page!

I know you'll enjoy talking like a pirate!

Soap? I've got it!

I'm still working on the soap. 

This and one more batch are what I have left to wrap.

This batch is mint.

The smell is heavenly!

I thought about using colorants, but that would mean adding artificial

to the natural.

My soaps contain organic, when possible, 

olive oil,

coconut oil,

and

grape seed oil.

The emollients feel wonderful on the skin.

Ask me how I know?

I've tried them.

So far, my favorite scent is

Rose!

Wonderful!

 

I Had a Great Blog Topic in Mind for Today, but, guess what, I forgot what it was!!

Sigh!

So, I guess this will be a

Pixie 

Cuteness Day!!!

See you tomorrow!

Maybe I'll even remember the blog topic!!

The Countdown to the Flame-off Has Begun! T-5 and counting!!

See these beads?  All but one of them will be heading to the Minneapolis Flame Off at Potek Glass Studio this coming Saturday! 

Minnesota Lampworkers,
there are still openings available.  You can sign up
HERE!

You are also invited to help work the tables - the Welcome Table and the Bracelet Making Table!

It would be great to see you there!  Here's the rest of the information.

I Heart Macro - Who Nose?

I Heart Macro!!!!

Focus on Life: Week 37: In motion

My fan is in motion.

Three Beautiful Things This Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

1) The house smells so good, and the soap is almost finished curing!
Oh, delicious!

2)  We are finally out of the heat wave!  Fall is on the way!  Oh, the joy of autumn!

3) The cicadas have been screaming their love of life!  I wish I could show the same gratefulness for being alive! 

Charm Exchange! More fun!!!

Jennifer Cameron is hosting another charm exchange!

Click

HERE

for information on how to sign up, 

if there's still room.

Do it quickly.

Sign ups close on September 13th.  That's tomorrow!

Anyway,

since the charms have to be in Jen's hands by

October 25th,

I decided to start on mine now.

My medium this year is 

polymer clay.

Are you ready for a sneak preview?

Here you go!

  The theme of the exchange, this year, is

Love!

So,

on one side of the charms,

there just had to be a heart!

I'm sorry.

I've been having trouble with my camera.  It just won't center things!

Sigh!

I guess you'll just have to wait until I'm finished with the charms to see them!

Stay tuned!

We Must Never Forget September 11

The Day of Terror

The Beginning of Hope.

Got soap?

Yes, I have soap!

By next week, all but the unscented will be ready.

The Unscented soap was made by another method, so it has to cure longer.

I have already used some of my soap, and

it

is 

nice!!!!

Next will come the packaging for it!

Then, I can sell it.

Check back next week for more details.

TV Dinner Day

I don't know about you, but when I was growing up, it was a real treat to have a TV dinner for supper.

On the days when my mother would get home from work dead tired,

she'd say,

"Let's have a TV dinner for supper."

Wow!

The oven would go on.

After it preheated, the TV dinners would be popped in the oven to cook for, at least,

35-45 minutes.

In the meantime,

we'd pull up the metal tv trays,

turn on the tv, 

and be able to watch tv while we ate.

Now, that I'm grown,

tv dinners for fast food really aren't that appetizing any more.

I guess I outgrew them.

Well, when you look at he calorie counts, the fats, the carbs,

that's what age does to you...

they just aren't worth eating.

The reason, though, that I'm posting this today, 

is simply to remind you that 

tomorrow,

September 10, 

is

TV Dinner Day.

Oh, the memories!

Oh, the calories!

Oh, the fat!

I might have to indulge just one time more?

Not sure.

We'll see!

Dreams

Dreams

I want to stay up past ten o’clock.

I want to go to a party and not have to leave at 9.

I want to stay awake dancing until dawn.

I want to wear my dresses above my knees.

I want to throw my glasses away.

I want to wear clothes that fit my body like a glove.

I want to wear shoes with dangerously high heels.

I want to wear jewelry that caress my arms and neck.

I want to walk in the early morning wearing the clothes I had on last night.

I want to run 5 miles on the beach inhaling the breath of the sea.

Those were my 17 year old wishes.

Now,

I’m glad I did,
I wish I could
again.

I Heart Macro! - Fungus

I Heart Macro!

Last fungus of the season?

So, today I used a Crock Pot to make Soap

Today, I made soap in my old crock pot.

This is what it looked like after 55 minutes.

I used this tutorial.

Click

HERE

to learn to make the soap.

I made a bigger recipe than the one given in this tutorial, so part of my 

soap

is still curing.

This is the loaf of soap as it's still curing.

These are the odd shaped pieces of soap.

I will cut off the rough bottoms to make a small bar of soap.

I scented this soap with rose essential oils.

My house smells of roses right now.

One thing I do need to mention is when you clean up,

make sure you rinse each piece of glass ware or pan that you want to put in the dishwasher, before they do in the dishwasher,

because,

if you don't,

this will happen.

This took a long time to clean up.

After I had finished, someone suggested using vinegar to cut the soap.

Sigh!

I wish I had thought of that sooner.

Oh, well!