Painted letters and a bonus collage

Middle (who is in college and turning 20 shortly) is VERY good at sending pictures to me, without my even asking, as she works on projects throughout the year.




This is how it started -

To be honest, she sent me a picture at this point, asking for ideas. This happened to be for a guy, so she was asking for masculine ideas. I looked back through my archives, using my labels (below this post), and responded stripes always are a good idea for guys.





This is how it finished -

Middle was in a secret santa exchange (RA's in her dorm). The rule was that it could not cost any $, had to be made with free/on hand things.

The letters middle normally paints are wood. This one was cut from a piece of cardboard -

This is what middle's secret santa gave her -

These are other letters middle made for another xmas exchange -

This set is for a family -

Holiday Framed Needle Work

If you remember, I have two huge rails/shelves in my kitchen where we change pictures with the seasons. If want to find pictures of my kitchen, there are lots of them, link is on my side bar. I have several holiday pieces. This post contains three, all made by me, which I love.

This first one (above) is cross stitch. It is a small count, which means big weave, so it went very fast. It is a simple pattern. Yes, that is a ceramic button for the heart. The frame is wooden and off the rack, so the frame was inexpensive. However it was stretched and framed at a regular shop, expensive, so it was done well. I really like the frame because it is "carved". This piece is 18" x 22".  I always put glass on things so they stay nice. My kids WILL want all the framed stuff at our house. So each piece feels like a good investment.




This next piece (below) is all done by machine. I think I pieced the background (curved seam sewing the woods to the night sky) and then the rest of the pieces are layered on top of each other and machine appliquéd. Notice I trimmed behind the snowman bottoms so there are no shadows.  This was also professionally framed and is behind glass.  This piece is 18" x 36".

This next piece (below) is also appliquéd, but was all done by hand. I started with the blue background and each piece was placed on top and sewn. The porch rails and window panes were embroidered. The candles and lightening rods are beads. The wreath and tiny showman are ceramic buttons. There is a button cardinal in the top of the tree. The larger snowman and his hat are some type of felt. The rest of the fabrics are traditional woven cotton.  This piece is 16" x 20" and is also behind glass.

Clothes that children with autism would consider friendly or fun

It is never Autistic Children.

It is children with autism.

You might remember middle plans to work in a specialized clinic/school, one on one, with preschool children with autism.

I watch for clothing these children will appreciate.

We call this first one the Dr. Seuss sweater. Can you see why?

(actually Put Me in the Zoo was not written by Dr Seuss, instead it was written by Robert Lopshire).





Children with autism tend to have favorite things.



Sometimes these are numbers -

Sometimes these are dinosaurs -

She has both the numbers and dinosaur sweaters from Target. Don't get your heart set on them, they are mostly gone now.


We are on the look out for a great solar system shirt or sweater. So far, those we have seen have been too arty or abstract. The kids will be happier with something in more of a classroom poster format.



She also has a collection of (actual) costumes including cowgirl, witch, gypsy.

Eye lashes on car picture

Just two painted things, but they are different than others middle has done

These are two things middle painted for other people.

WOW stands for something on campus.

The paddle was for a fraternity event.

Thanksgiving Day Tips from Our Lady

10 Tips to a Calm, Peaceful and Happy Thanksgiving.
-or-  
10 Tips: How to Eliminate Emotional Eating On the Most Charged Food Day of the Year

1. Avoid Mad Dash Syndrome – Plan and do as much as is comfortably possible ahead of time, avoiding the mad dash!  Create a time line and stick to it.
    
2. Keep It Simple and Graceful – Remember that less is more.  Five types of sweet potatoes is not necessarily better than one incredible mash!
    
3. Set the Table Early – Set the table either the day before Thanksgiving or early that morning.  Set it with the intention to create an organized, calm and beautiful Thanksgiving.
    
4. Declutter – Clutter takes up space and blocks energy. Clutter never feels good.  As best you can, clear your space for the people, the food and good energy.
    
5. Pretend to Be a Cat  –  Cats observe. You be the observer.  Let the rest of life spin around you, while you stay centered.  Let others spin, chase their tails, and/or run in circles; while you stay centered.
    
6. Breathe / Meditate – Periodically, throughout the day, take in 5 deep belly breaths; exhale through your mouth.  Ahhhhh ….   You can’t help but to feel more centered and calm.
    
7. Add Wonder to the Table.– Nature is a grounding force that connects us to the Source, to God, to ourselves.  When we encounter a beautiful flower, we can’t help but to be in awe.  Wonder arises.  Place a beautiful vase of flowers on the table, perhaps a plant or two and/or a pumpkin at your front door.  Let the wonderment flow.
    
8. Aromatherapy – Aromatherapy works by stimulating smell receptors in the nose, which, in turn, send messages through the nervous system to the limbic system — the part of the brain that controls emotions.
   
   It is believe that the following essential oils can create a pleasant serenity:  Lavender, melissa, myrrh, bergamot, cardamom, chamomile, cypress, frankincense, rose, pine, vanilla, marjoram, neroli, nutmeg, patchouli, and orange/lime.
   
   Place a few drop of your favorite essential oil on a cotton ball, put in purse or pants.  Take in deep aroma breathes throughout the day!
    
9. Play Soft and Slow Music  – Music causes the body to release endorphins.   Slow music slows the breath and the heartbeat. Music calms!
    
10. Feel Comfortable in Your Own Skin… Is (your name here) happy with(your name here)? The most important element to a peaceful, calm, happy day is how you feel about yourself.  Love and accept yourself.   Let your calm ripple out, be happy, and enjoy!

Remember that the goal of the day is to be happy with yourself, feel comfortable in your own skin, to stay calm, present, to radiate love and peace and to be thankful for all that you do have, indeed!  Follow our 10 tips and you can't help but to avoid emotional eating!




This came from Our Lady's Newsletter. 

Handyman was at my house last week (yes, there are pictures) - 16 days and counting

Added later:
living room window seat included in this post.
oldest's window seat in this post.
window seat from youngest's current room further below in this current/today/same post.

I took this picture to show you the last two window seats. I am not showing middle's side of the room as it has her name all over the place. So, this is half of middle's current bedroom. This half first belonged to the youngest when she was little and then to ME (our girl from the middle east who was with us a year). Now this half of the room is used when middle has friends home with her or sometimes when youngest has friends here on a school night and they need a real bed. When I say half of middle's room, there is another half, identical to this one, with different decorations, behind the half wall you see with the desk/wall/shelves. There is a wall/desk/shelf on that side. So where you see the wall jut out in this room, middle's desk is in that space on the other side. Where the desk is on this side, the wall is on middle's side. Middle has a window seat identical to this one. So, yes, there are two in this great big room.

Here is a closer shot of the headboard

Just so you weren't wondering, this is the headboard from middle's side of the room. 

TODAY'S ORIGINAL POST -

I had a small list of handyman things that needed done last spring.

I tried to get on the schedule of one handyman all spring and he never had time.

I tried a second handyman all summer. Never got him to return calls.

Last week I found a third man. Not only did he return my calls, he also scheduled a time and then came and did the work.

This is youngest's room in June. The heavy curtains were on a suspension rod.

Opening the curtains on the suspension rod meant sometimes the whole thing fell on her head.

This is an installed rod with pull backs.
She likes to have her windows open and now that is easily done.

Handyman also hung hooks in youngest's closet. This is a small walk-in closet (not attached to her room) built into a nook across from youngest's room. That door actually leads to the attic.

That door is the closet door. Two sets of hooks, end to end, were hung also.

This mirror came in the truck from my husband's mother's house. LOVE the mirror. The mirror was leaning against the wall, in this same spot, for months, waiting to be hung. I thought I would love it (there). After I looked at it (hung) for two days, I hated it in this spot. Proportions are wrong. (This mirror is 28" x 44". It is very heavy. Handyman screwed it directly into stud. He was able to use the same holes used through frame in past.) This mirror is better suited hung above a piece of furniture (to anchor it).

If you are trying to picture this spot in my house, it is the stair landing.
This picture is taken at the top of the stairs looking at landing. You can see the mirror (left side of picture). To give you an idea of the scale: ledge is 13 1/2" x 85". Landing is 85" x 50". Flag picture (that is a framed quilt top behind glass, yes, I made it) is 50" tall by 53" wide.

This is standing at bottom of stairs, looking at landing. The kitchen is to the right of this picture, the laundry room and studio to left. The open doorway in the right background of the picture is the living room. You will find more house pictures here.

This is not my house. This is a screen shot from JC Penney's online catalog. This mirror is 31" x 65". Original price was $160. It was on sale for 79.99. I had a 20% coupon. Shipping was free. I paid $68.47. It is coming by truck. It will probably be here the week of my surgery. If it doesn't work (but I think it will be perfect) I simply have my husband return it. I had two additional jobs which required prep work. The handyman can switch mirrors when he returns (after my surgery, before holidays).

New Kitchen Rug

Celia Sandys (pronounced Sands), daughter of Sir Winston Churchill's eldest child, Diana, and Cabinet Minister Duncan Sandys

I am not sure if I have ever written about this. 

There was a special on PBS. 

The topic was Winston Churchill and it was narrated by his granddaughter. 

From a cursory search, it must be Chasing Churchill. It is available on Amazon, I have put it on my wishlist so the next time I order, I will get it. 

I never saw the whole show. 

I would watch for a tiny bit of time and her very soothing British accent would put me to sleep immediately. 

My whole family was much amused by this falling to sleep thing. 

It was highly effective on nights I could not sleep. 

I used it for a very long time. 

I should never have deleted it because it was so effective.

Contemporary, dressier jeans, looking for suggestions - 33 days

I had a fabulous pair of Geoffrey Beene women's jeans somewhere in my weight loss process. I think it was long ago, like part way through the first 60 lbs. so those jeans are long gone.

I saw a woman in a very similar style yesterday.

Middle and I have learned, when you see something really great - go ask. They will not mind.

Total side note: they will not mind, but middle will not tell. She likes to have original things. Usually she can honestly say that she does not know (because I bought it). But even if she knows, she will not tell.

So I asked the woman with the jeans yesterday and she said Talbots.

I do not have anything on the calendar today/Friday.

So I am making the drive and checking out a Talbots.

Hopefully they are well stocked on sizes/styles.

On line information said they have tummy control panels, which REALLY helps with my excess tummy skin and also provides lower back support.

If you have any other suggestions of dressier jeans companies to check, please leave a note.

More Halloween Costumer Stories - what was the greatest Halloween Costume you ever wore?

Click to enlarge the image. These are from the October 2012 issue of Real Simple. Clicking on the Real Simple label at the bottom of this post, will bring up more of these stories.

My books - Light Between Oceans (2012) by M.L. Stedman

Here is the link to the Oprah review. It does not give away the ending of the story,  but does outline the basic premise of the book.

In my Catholic studies group, the week I started this book, we were discussing Original Sin. And the priest was talking about the original sin wasn't that Eve ate the fruit. It was that Adam let her, stood by and did nothing about it, eat the fruit.

I thought a lot about that as I read this book.

I enjoyed this book hugely. Had a driveway moment at the end, finishing it.

I am doing much better with contemporary literature (vs classics) now, for whatever reason.

So that means I attend my least favorite of my three book groups (mixture of genres) regularly.

My main classics group is off my calendar until next spring (conflict with my Catholic studies group).

And my second classics group is picking titles I just can't quite do.

They are reading War and Peace (1869) right now (which I didn't even try), before that it was the Dubliners (1914) collection of 15 short stories by James Joyce (which I tried and just couldn't do happily), and before that The Portrait of a Lady (1881) by Henry James (which I stuck with for the first 1/3 and then had no interest in finishing). 

And honestly, right now, one book a month is about all I can easily handle.

So the one book group is working out okay.

Mehndi Pictures

my books - Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (2009) by Jamie Ford

Wiki writes

"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is historical fiction. It is a bestselling novel (2009) by Jamie Ford about the love and friendship between Henry Lee, a Chinese boy, and Keiko Okabe, a Japanese girl, during the Japanese internment in World War II."

and

"The Kirkus Review hailed the novel as "A timely debut that not only reminds readers of a shameful episode in American history, but cautions us to examine the present and take heed we don’t repeat those injustices."  Kevin Clouther of Booklist mentions that "Although Ford does not have anything especially novel to say about a familiar subject (the interplay between race and family), he writes earnestly and cares for his characters, who consistently defy stereotype." "

This was a book assigned by one of my book groups. I did finish it. However I did not finish it in time to attend the group meeting. I did not want the ending spoiled (for me) by the discussion in the group, so I chose not to go.

As I was talking about this book (as I listened) with my husband, he said - it is a Romeo and Juliet.

It does not end the same as Romeo and Juliet (double deaths), but that theme is accurate.

The twist of Chinese and Japanese, in the USA, was interesting all the way through the book. The majority of the story was from the Chinese point of view, not the Japanese. Although the impact on the Japanese society in the USA was clearly demonstrated.

That cultural component made it a very different internment camp story. I would guess. I can't say for sure because I have not read any other internment camp stories.

The time line jumps between WWII days and also the 1980's. But it does not jump annoyingly. The passages are clearly understood.

I did like this book. I think the title is really great.

September is Balance Awareness Month

As you know, this is a subject important to me.

I found a blog with some interesting articles.