Happy Holidays! (I know... I'm late...)

Happy holidays to everyone! It's been a busy time and I am very happy its over!

Some new things for next year, I have decided to start a game nite at my place. What we have decided to do is pick either old card games like gin, bridge etc and then board games to play every other Friday. (My friend Roger is Dying to bust out shoots and ladders!)

To make things even more interesting we are going to follow Kitty Kills "tie one on Tuesdays" (http://fasterkittykill.blogspot.com/)to try a new drink each time. Should be fun! Its a way to get together with friends and learn new games and reminisce over the old one. Without the expensive of going out to the pub or the movies. Plus drinking is always a good time!


Also I have collected quite a few embroidery patterns over the years and I don't think I have used more than 1% of them. This year I am going to attempt to embroider one pattern a week (I'd say a day but that would be doomed from the beginning! LOL!) Here's to stitching with purpose!

Its just me

So I have been a busy bee the last couple of months. Between working on holiday stuff, school and all that I have been worn out! LOL!

But as you can see I have a new haircut. It's short! I was tring to get a middy but the girl didn't understand. (even with picture and instruction) Thats alright it will grow and now I have bangs! Its loads easier to do the Victory rolls now with it shorter as well.






Hope everyone has a great holiday season!

A little late but Happy Halloween!

At Disneyland once again for the Trick or Treat! My kids as always stood out among the Princesses, pop divas and cartoons. To me Halloween is suppose to be scary. Or at least try to be.

Say it with me Bhaw ha ha ha!

Just a little citrus-y evil via my tea towel swap. Actually I have the logo for Sinister Citrus web design to thank for the idea. My Husband just added the goatee for extra evil. :)

And Look Look! Its me in some random Bat's day pictures from last Fall. If you've never been its a blast. This year we're gonna try Rock around the park (rockabilly day) I think I have a better wardrobe for that. LOL!


I'm standing in the right hand corner in the back next to the colum

Disneyland to Steampunk

BEFORE

AFTER



Vote for Disneyland to Steampunk on the Needlework Challenge! http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=314536.0
To see the whole step by step process of this project:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=313720.0

Bog of Eternal Stench and Disneyland

Tis the season for summer Vacations. The Kids, the Niece, my mom and I headed off to the LaBrea Tar pits and of course, Disneyland.

If you've never been to the Tar pits you should go. Its right in the middle of Hollywood, not to far from Beverly hills (which I find Hilarious) Its small and at most you could spend maybe two hours there.

The Lake out side reminds me of The Bog of Eternal stench. It bubbles and makes noises and of course smells.

They have these statues in the lake that depict how the fossils got there, It looks sad. You can almost hear the baby Mammoth say "daddy don't go!" I know its evil but it kinda made me giggle. The Niece thought it was funny too so it wasn't just me.






They have a small Museum as well with all the fossils they have found, movies, a fishbowl lab, and a garden walk.

Doesn't the boy look so excited to be doing something educational on his Vacation?



Turtles!

They had gorgeous plants in the walk like this curly fern


Then it was off to Disneyland. Now don't get me wrong I love Disneyland, we all have annual passes. I just love it a little less in the summer, Its hot and crowded and we have to repeat our Disneyland Mantra alot. "The Lines are long and the rides are short."


The kids were very excited to see the new light parade, I just wish Disney would make up its mind. They retired it, sold off pieces, brought it back and then changed it. The Blue fairy has been replaced by Tinkerbell. That was a little sad for me cause she was always my favorite but the new Pyrate ship totally made up for it!

My Secret Mission

If you desire your own go to :http://www.mykeamend.com/new/mission/

Ahhhhh! The sound of silence.

Well no extra kids this week and the DH is off to Foreign parts for 3 weeks. The TV is mine I can stitch in bed all I want! (always bugged the DH) Though I do miss him, it's nice to have the bed to myself.

So This week I got a nice little surprise. I was chosen to be this month's needlework project of the month on Craftster. It was for the Sugar Skull Lady I embroidered following a Sunny Buick tattoo. I was very excited to say the least! If you get a chance head on over to craftster and check it out.http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=312005.0

Not sure how I'll ever top it, but I'll try!

Adventures in baby sitting

Since I have extra small people this summer (not just my own) I thought I would post about that for a while. Last Week I learned that no matter how you try children will drive you crazy and get dirty. I was forever washing the girls clothes so that they wouldn't go home in a mess then I had the brilliant idea of making some "play clothes"






They are just Pillow case dresses using a pattern I found out there on the internet. Really the patterns are all the same so it doesn't matter which one you use. But I liked these the best:

http://www.everythingsewing.net/pillowcase_dress_how_to.htm

http://www.jenleheny.com/pillowcase-dress-instructions

It took maybe an Hour to do all three dresses, and once the girls had them they wouldn't take them off!! They loved them! They were comfortable, cool and most importantly clean when it was time to go home. I think I'm going to make a dozen or so more, I have some vintage pillow cases that would make great nightgowns.

Geez.......

Sorry its been so long since the last post. It's really because I haven't done a whole lot in the last couple of weeks. I've had kids for the summer and they take up a lot of my day. (all of it to be exact!) But I have been working on two craftster swaps and those will be going out today and tomorrow as soon as I find a box that has not been turned into a doll bed or robot office.

Blueberry Pie Refashioned Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

I love her work! She's so clever! :)
Blueberry Pie Refashioned Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Loose Teeth Vintage Inspired Sundress with Petticoat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Loose Teeth Vintage Inspired Sundress with Petticoat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Things I love

I love...........

Stitching on the couch while watching TV.

Pineapples

Sir David Ogden Steirs for coming out of the closet at 66.

Subversive Cross stitch/ embroidery

The time between when my DH goes to work and when the kids get up.

Sees candies

Ugly shoes

Vintage table linens

That even in Vegas, pretty things grow.

Shame on Urban threads!

This little tidbit has been spreading through the crafting world like wildfire!

Urban threads is not all it seems and is copying patterns to boot. Check out these blogs for more info.

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/

http://www.dinosaursandrobots.com/2009/04/upport-independent-business-and-reject.html

For shame!

AFAN Vegas Style!

This weekend My Hubby will be walking in the AFAN walk with Penn and Teller's team!
I don't get to go the kiddies are sick. :( But if anyone would like to contribute to the cause please check out his AFAN site!

http://afanlv.kintera.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=291714&u=291714-249250728&e=2278938609

He will be walking in all red Pyrate Garb (made by yours truly) Hopefully he will get the attention this cause deserves!

WIP

As I had mentioned before my current "Mania" is Day of the Dead, Mexican folk art. I Love me some Folk! When I am not busy with my kids (which is a lot!) I have been slowly working on this.


I cannot take credit for the actual design. No its loveliness is all by the hand of the equally lovely Sunny Buick. http://www.sunnybuick.com/ I just stitched it. But as I said it was a work in progress and I hope to finish this soon, I took a break to work on a couple of craftster swaps. And wouldn't you know one of my partners wanted a day of the dead doll. :) I better get started. Luckily I have had some experience in that!

Spring Break Craftyness!

Since I am a stay-at-home Mom it usually falls to me to watch my nieces and nephew during any and all holiday breaks. This year I had my Nephew for the whole week. he was "given" to me because he had an art project to do for his Spanish class and since I am the craftiest in my family who else could they turn too. He had to design a display that had 7 rooms that he could furnish, label and write chores for. (all in Spanish)

Since I love Mexican Folk art and all that Jazz I found it very hard to let him do this on his own, which he was okay with. :) We built a 3 ft X 3ft House display recycling old card board boxes and Paper mache

Here is our start point.

we have it glued together.

This was the finished project. I did't take pictures of the Paper mache stage but there you have it. Casa de Arie!
Even my husband couldn't stay out of the act so he drew the detail on the top and bottom.
My nephew was never so happy and knowing he did the Majority of the work himself made it even better.

OMG Has It been that LONG!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey There! I'm very sorry I have been so absent. Truth is I kinda forgot that I even had a blog. So Lets see what has been going on.....

Lots of stitching, a few holidays, couple of birthdays (mine included) and several trips to Disneyland.

This is my current project for the Craftster needlework challenge (voting ends tomorrow!) Believe it or not it only took me two days to stitch this project. I wanted desperatly to enter it by the deadline, which I did, then they added a week! Oh well, LOL!