Happy Day 1 of 100

                                                      

Look here and here for more Happy Day Pictures.

This week

Mardi Gras is a big deal with parades and partying. That is if you participate. Schools are closed Monday and Tuesday and most businesses are closed Tuesday.

So what to do when day cares are closed and you work in the health care field which never closes? You call in the mother of all mawmaws. 

I kept the two little ones for 2 days. Here's a peek into our time. 

The weather did not cooperate. Rain and cold made for inside play. Took a trip to Bass Pro for a little entertainment. It was kinda like going to the zoo. Except some of the animals were stuffed. But there were live fish and live waddling quacking ducks and 1 hide and seek raccoon.  Of course we have to eat. Play time and nap time rounded out the Mawmaw daycare. 

                               

New Paragraph

Usually it's called a new chapter in your life.. But to me it's just a new paragraph. Just a continuation of life, but on a different topic.

This week marked some milestones for me.

#1  

My birthday. Not really that unusual except for the fact that I turned sixty. I didn't want to use the numbers 6 and 0. It looks better like "sixty" than "6-0". Or rather than calling myself a senior citizen or an older person or an elderly person. Sixty is the new forty. I consider myself blessed to see the age of sixty. All is well and I am dog gone proud to have made it this far with only a few scrapes and bruises.   So, Happy Birthday Week to me. I'm going to celebrate all week.

The festivities began with two BDay cards with money. Then a bouquet of flowers. And many calls and messages with BDay sentiments. Again, all is well.  

#2

My sixty wonderful years brings about milestone #2.  Retirement at sixty thanks to my husbands 42 years of work entitles me to his spousal  retirement benefits. He's been retired for 2 years and now I am joining the ranks of hanging around the house while the money goes in the bank. All is well and we are doggone blessed to be at this stage in our life.  Blah, Blah, Blah.  

Friday (the day after my birthday) was my official last day at work. Personally, deep down, I kinda sorta want a part-time 2 day a week job. Just something to keep me in the swing of things and get me out of the house for some me time with a little cash on the side. 

#3

While this isn't exactly a milestone, it looks like I'll have plenty of time for visiting family and friends, plenty of time for chores around the house without blaming a job taking all my time, plenty of time for sewing, plenty of time for outdoor sutff, and plenty of time to act my age. 

I have an agenda and I'm sticking to it. An agenda that includes doing everything from A-Z. Like washing the AUTOMOBILES to visiting the ZEBRAS at the zoo. See, everything from a-z. And I want to take it all in. It'll be like taking a fresh look on things instead of  being in a rushed, chaotic, busy, blur of a day. 

#4

So my new paragraph in my life starts today. It's not all about me. It's about all those who are a part of  all my sixty years, who without them I would not be who or what I am today. Thank you!

Gin



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

I Had A Birthday

Thursday was my big day.

The big 6-0.

Flowers arrived at work from some co-workers.

                                          

Between answering cell phone calls, responding to Happy BDay texts, and checking on FB BDay greetings it was a wonderful day. 

BDay cake, BDay presents, and BDay dinner spent with others who have BDays the same week will follow soon. Stay tuned for that. 

I plan to make this a super year

Gin

Fabric Obsession

After searching all over fabric sites on the Internet for a specific color, design, and texture, I came up with nothing. You know how you feel when you search and search and just can't find it anywhere? It got to where I HAD to find that fabric. I was obsessed.

Yes, that was my excitement for a few days. Sad, I know. 

But. While in the rinky dink little town nearby, I stopped in my favorite place.   And was obsessed again with color, designs, and isles and isles of perfection. 

                                           

This is only a glimpse of what's in that store. I have to make myself walk out of the store while stretching my neck and looking back knowing I hear some calling my name.

A little drama

While spending the day with the little ones recently, I corralled them on the sofa with a comfy pink hello kitty blanket hoping they would get still and quiet and sleepy. It was past the noon nap time and I'm in charge for the day.

                                  

Cohen's wanting my phone while I try to take a few pictures. 

                                  

They can be so silly.

                                   

No nap, no quiet time, just play play play. 

                                  

gin

Valentine Favorites

Of course I love getting flowers, or chocolates, or dinner out for two.

There's always a chance for jewelry, or a mani-pedi gift, or a sweet special card. 

There's even been a red and white valentine heart shaped cake. 

All those gifts have been scattered thru the years from my valentine. Yet, I always give myself a gift several times while the retail outlets are loaded with valentine stuff for a month. And my favorite gift to myself is SweetHearts candy. I love the ones in the little tiny boxes. But sometimes I get the bigger shaped size. They are almost my favorite candy of the season. 

                                               

You can read them, use the phrases in conversation, and then snack on them all day while at work.
Happy Valentines All Month to Myself!

A Valentine: Project # 4

A valentine pageant ooc dress is on the agenda. That was my project for the week. I so wish I had a humongous real fabric store in my area. This time I don't even have enough time to order fabric online.

This will turn into something really cute (I hope).

                            

My vision is a two piece with a ruffle top and Capris that gather with elastic at the knee with a ruffle. The finished project almost never looks like my complete vision. What's in my head and what's on paper does not always really happen. 

                               

                                    

The heart ribbon will be the ruffle on the capris. They are almost complete.

 It's what I envisioned so far. I will add a little red bow on each side at the knee. I love the little panteloons. They will be so cute under the dress.

                                 

                                      

I'm contemplating on how to arrange the top. An off the shoulder with a ruffle over the shoulder and the skirt with ruffles that come up to the waist on one side. Sound confusing? We'll have to see.

Fish line hem skirt and ruffles all come together nicely attached to the top with the the heart ribbon.

Voila! The finished project. Cute. Cute. Cute for a Valentine pageant outfit.

I've shared this hint before, but, here it is again. Spray the finished skirt with extra hold hairspray a few days before the event. It helps hold the flounce, the hem edge ripples, and holds the shape to a tee.The above picture has not been hairsprayed yet. Spray a section at a time and kinda hand form the shape how it should be and hold for a minute or so till it dries. . BE SURE AND TEST A SCRAP OF THE FABRIC FIRST AND LET IT STAY OVERNIGHT!!!!  

There's a few things different from my vision. Like no sleeve, one layer skirt instead of two. Light weight fish line so the hem isn't too stiff. And the white sheer I bought didn't even make the cut. It just kinda happens as I go along. 

And shoes? The cutest little red sparkly Mary Jane's are a perfect match. On sale $7.99. And a red/white petti skirt she already has to wear underneath.

Pageant day is here and here she is in  her outfit at the Be Mine Pageant. Minus the bow, eating fruit loops, while waiting for awards to begin.

*** She received queen of her division! Yayyyy Brooklyn! No cameras were allowed in ball room, so we have no pictures of her with her crown, yet." ***

This was Fun. Fun. Fun to make. And the pageants we attend are always Fun. Fun. Fun.

Update # 1 on Project # 2, How to Care for Your Christmas Poinsettia

It's the second month of my poinsettia project. You can read about it here. The site I'm using for my guidelines in caring for my Christmas poinsettia is here

I can't tell if mine is surviving or not. It's hard to tell.  The green leaves and red flower petal things are falling like flies. February is still suppose to be a time of just watering - not too much, not too little. Yeh right.

I don't know if "we" will make it the 28 days in February. I hope it's not rejecting my efforts. That's the words I read in the how-to article.  Sad, but it may be true.

Jan, Feb, & March instructions are simple:
   Simply continue to water the poinsettia as you would any plant, never allowing the soil to completely dry. If you need something to drink so does your poinsettia.

If only I can get to April where you don't really have to do anything. April does talk about the trash if you can't make it. .That's not what I'm hoping for. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed and doing my best to follow the guidelines.

gin

No Crown This Time

A fun day at LA Cameo Girl Pageant with a little one who kept us entertained.

No queens crown, but she got a 3rd place trophy. And that was just fine with her. She walked off the stage and down the isle carrying her own big trophy like it was the best ever.  

                                                   

She played most of the time. She sat down on the stage and then laid down . 

She did wave to the judges. And put her fingers in her mouth.  She's a 15 month old busy baby toddler. 

Of course during the awards she was perfectly at attention doing what she was suppose to do. 

                                                           

The pageants are fun. We're in it to win of course. She may not have won the top spot this time, but we went in with and came away with the prettiest baby (to us anyway, don't know what the judges were thinking).  It's like any competition, you do your best and be proud of yourself. 

My other little cutie is also the most handsome of all. Here he is checking out the snow on snow day.

Mr Independent.

                                   

XOXOXO