Salsa

What happens when you show up at my house on my day off? You get roped into making salsa!

Thank God Ang showed up today. I got the idea that I would try canning salsa. Now I have been putting this off for a few weeks, I now understand why. I thought about making a half batch but then I figured I wouldn't want to do it twice if it worked. So 20 pounds of tomatoes, 6 onions, 30 different peppers and some other stuff, I now have salsa.

I chopped tomatoes and peppers for about 2 hours and Ang chopped for an hour to get stuff started. Then it ends up my biggest pot is not big enough. To top it off it is supposed to make 20 pints of salsa, WRONG!!! I washed up 18 jars and figured we'd eat the rest. I have filled all 18 jars, we have eaten 2 bowls full and I still have a quarter of the salsa to can. I am now washing 6 half pint jars too.

Top all this off I am making dinner too, for six of us!

Weekly Personal Challenge

So after the last post I decided that this weeks Personal Challenge is going to be a little different. Each week I focus on something/anything, it could be cleaning something, cooking something, creating something ect. I spend at least an hour a day on that Challenge, sometimes I get caught in the moment and spent more. By the end of the 7 days I have usually accomplished something I didn't really want to tackle.

This week my hour is going to be split up into sections and my week is going to include both Sundays, making it 8 days long. My hour is split into 15 minutes cleaning my Sewing Studio, 15 minutes working on mending or a UFO I don't want to work on and the last 30 minutes is working on the 120 Christmas cards I am sending out this year. Now here is another catch to this if I spend more than the allotted time one project I still have to spent the whole amount of time on the other projects, it just cuts into my fun sewing time. This should give me 2 hours each on cleaning and UFO's and 4 hours toward my Christmas cards.

Next Sunday I will post photos of what my room looks like after. Hopefully improved. I notice a difference even after just last night.

VCB's Halloween Contest

Vintage Chic Boutique is holding a Halloween Contest for the messiest crafting space. I think I have a chance with this one. These are photos of my Sewing Studio. I have been creating A LOT.
First is from my doorway looking across the room to the window. Yes my machine is still in my Tutto from the night before, it should be on the table where the pink fabric is. That is my new iron. The table under the window is scrapbooking stuff.
This second photo is standing behind the ironing board looking over to the left. Those are my bookcases with everything from Quilting Books to Fiction to my books from childhood. On the floor is about 20 quilt tops that need quilted and a few other projects. My Featherweight is in it's box. My first sewing machine is on top of the bookcase. The faint white line at the left edge is my armoir that stores my stash.

This last photo is from standing in front of the window looking into my closet. The Right side is my Scrapbooking stash and the left side has all the boxes with projects is various stages of finished. More UFO's under the ironing board.

Happy Birthday Chelsea!

Everyday Life

I really don't think I live in a "NORMAL" household. Sometimes you just have to shake your head and keep going. This week has been much the same as any other week for us. Living with Scott you live on the edge of censorship. He doesn't always keep his mouth shut when he should. Lucky for me Delaney is much the same.

The other day Scott heard a joke on the radio and felt the need to call my mom at work to leave it on her voicemail for when she got their. Here it is:

Why do squirrels always swim on their backs?
To keep their nuts dry.

I often get phone calls from Scott and Joe asking what I'm wearing. The proper response is nothing.

Years ago when we were first dating, Scott was out at my parents house, my mom was making pizza with green olives. Scott was asking my mom what it was and what does it taste like. My mom said he could try one. Scott tried an olive. You could tell he didn't want to be rude and spit it out but he didn't want to eat it either. My mom said to spit it out if he didn't like it. After that Scott TOTALLY UNCENSORED said "Man, I need to bend over and lick my ass to get the taste out of my mouth."

Scott has also decided we no longer need to save for Poop to go to college she can pay for it herself. He calls her "his little striper." The ONLY thing she will wear when we are at home is leg warmers, panties and my high heals. God forbid if music comes on the TV, she starts to dance. She will spin, do a booty bounce and then slap her butt.

Delaney is forever telling me that her "butt cheek is hang out."

A few weeks ago I was out at our warehouse for work and one of the guys asked if he told me something would I get offended. Really living with Scott is that possible?

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

So I leave my house to run around town today. I decide I'm kinda thirsty, I'll stop at Mc Donald's and get an Iced Tea. Because it is easy and I am a lazy I go to the drive up window. I order a Large Iced Tea. The nice employee asked Unsweetened or Sweetened? I say Unsweetened and drive to pay my $1.08.

As I am at the first window paying I heard the person behind me order came up to $1.08 also. So I got my change from my $5 and tell the nice employee I'll pay for the next order too. She first looked at me like I was crazy and then asked "Are you sure?" I say yes and hand her $1.10 and drove to window two.

Here is my punishment. The next nice employee says "I'm sorry miss, we are out of Tea, can I get you something else?" ARE YOU FRICKIN' KIDDING ME! So I got Diet Coke. Now in the mean time, the poor nice employee at window one is having to deal with the lady in the car behind me, who is arguing about me paying for her order.

As for my shopping, Home Goods has some of their Christmas stuff in, I got some great ornaments. I also got some ABC Gingerbread Men cookie cutters, Already Been Chewed. The Shoe Pavilions at Sherwood Mall is going out of business, I didn't go in. T.J.Maxx has some beautiful toddler girls Christmas dresses in, by Cinderella and only $19.99.

Home From PIQF

WOW!!! If you didn't make it to this year's show you missed out. I saw many great things and came home inspired to sew. I haven't downloaded my pictures yet, so hop on over to Liz's Blog for some great photos.

The wonderful quilter Rhonda Beyer took home 2 ribbons at this show. A first place for the quilt she did with Penelope Tucker. This picture is of the quilt at Road to California, where it also scored a first place.

Rhonda also got a second place on another quilt she appliqued and quilted. I am not sure if I took a picture of it yesterday, Sorry.

I also got to meet the Fabulous Gina Halladay of Quilters Buzz, Threaded Pear, AND Cranberry Quiltworks! I had the most wonderful time talking to her. I also got a Threaded Pear pattern and I can't wait to make it! Gina told me of some exciting things she has coming up. By the time I got to my car I wanted to drive to Orange County. Be on the look out for some GREAT things from Gina this next year.

I stopped by Quarter Inch Publishing and of course I had to buy something. So I got the new pattern Skully. I actually got the kit in a cute glow in the dark skull bag. Jane's sister was not with her this year, she was home helping their younger sister. I left the booth in tears, please keep their family in your prayers.

Lastly as I was leaving I stopped and talked to friends. MISTAKE!!! I got challenged, the good Lord knows I can't pass up a challenge. So here it is, I have to complete a quilt, photograph it (Heather that's your part), fill out an application and mail it in time for next years show. Wish me luck! I started on it today.

Iron Deficiency

I am having an Iron issue. I have never had a problem with Iron before. Then BAM!!! October hit and I have an Iron Deficiency. How did this happen you ask and all of the sudden. I will tell you.

I have blown the heating element in 3, yes that's right 3, Irons in less than 30 days. WOW!!! The first was me beloved Rowenta, made in Germany. I have had my dear Iron for 6 1/2 years. All of the sudden one night, poof no heat. Then I go to my closet and pull out one of the 2 back up class/retreat Irons. Not bad but a CHEAP Target Iron, not like my Rowenta. It lasted not even a week. So I pull out the last Iron, the not as cheap Target Iron. Last night the light was on but no body was home. Down went the third Iron.

Now of course I have been working on a Baby Puke set for a shower Friday night. And of course I am making cute pleats on the blanket, and I have NO Iron to set them with. So off to JoAnn's I went tonight. I bought a lower end Rowenta Iron and I filled out the warranty card before plugging it in.

Now some of you are thinking I have had my Iron for 20 years, how can she KEEP blowing them up? When I am sewing I can use my Iron 4-8 hours a day, everyday. That is more than most people do in a month. Which is why I now have an Iron Deficiency. Anyone got an Iron I can borrow?