I've gotten my sewing machine!!

Well, last Friday, I got my sewing machine. I am in the process of reading the entire manual as this is a really nice machine and I want to know how to work all the bells and whistles on it. Yesterday I went out and got some fabric for a dress for my little Princess. She got to pick it out and I didn't particularly like it but she did and so we got it. 5 yards of it as that's what the pattern calls for.

Now, in my craft room I have a TV w/DVD Player, a 5ft desk, a shelf for my soaps, a filing cabinet for my files, a printer sitting on top of that cabinet, a book case, a crafting table - small about 24 inches by 40 inches, a student chair w/folding desktop, a lazyboy recliner, a basket of trade magazines, a scrapbooking cart w/wheels, a storage bin with scrapbooks yet to do an extra TV we don't use, 2 jewelry supply carts with wheels - one with 7 drawer the other with 5, a desk lamp and one floor lamp. Now, with the sewing machine and no table to put it on I'm contemplating stuffing a sewing table in there is well.

I was thinking of just getting one of those folding tables that they sell at Sams since that way I can put it away and it won't look too crowded in here. I'm also thinking that if I get rid of the bookcase, I can use that space for a sewing table. Here are pictures of my options.

Tell me what you think would be best to do. The wooden particle board one serves two purposes as seen by pics but the folding one can be put away. Of course with the white folding one I wouldn't have any place to store the sewing machine or sewing notions/accessories.

Pictures 2 & 3 are of the same table. It runs me $75 bucks at Wally World. Table number 1 is just under 50 bucks at the same store.

What dear readers, friends and lurkers say you?

Pictures!! Pictures!! Pictures!!

At the constant egging and annoying emails from some people (you know who you are) I've finally gotten my lazy behind up outta the chair and got the usb cable to download the pics of the chaise lounge chair. Here, my lovelies, are the pics for your viewing pleasure.

Men and rings

Ok, what is it with men? A few weeks ago I went to pick up a part for Mr. Sir's rig. I got there and purchased the part and as I was paying for it, the guy that was checking me out made a comment about my wedding ring. "Whoa, that's one huge rock you have there. You must be a very good wife indeed!" I smiled politely and just took my purchase and walked out.

As I was driving home I thought to myself, does that mean that this guy thinks that a "bad wife" gets a small ring or a cheap ring? What does he consider a good wife and what is a bad wife? I've never heard that one before.

The reason I mention this on here is because yesterday, as I was walking into Wallyworld, a newspaper salesman is giving me his sales pitch. He offered me a raffle ticket which he said was for winning a something or other I forgot what it was. As I was filling out the information on the ticket he made a comment about my ring (I know weird huh), he said, "Wow, that's one big stone on that ring, he must've done something really bad or he loves you very much." I got pissed off and I retorted, "Actually, I bought this myself." A lie, I know but what is it with men? I walked away and told him to forget the newspaper delivery thing, I didn't need it after all.

Does a man base the size of a ring for their fiancee/girlfriend/wife on how much they love them? I always thought it depended on how much they could afford. How much they love someone shouldn't be measured by the size of a wedding ring, should it? Am I missing something here?

Also, isn't it quite tacky that someone should point that out? When I admire another woman's jewelry I never say...oh, you must be a good wife, look at that rock! I wouldn't dare insult someone like that. I'm still reeling from that one. I mean I didn't even notice his fingers but after he said that I looked and noticed he didn't have a ring on his. Even so, I didn't say hey, why aren't you married, do women find you that ugly? Tacky right? Rude too.

On that happy note, dears. You all have a wonderfully peaceful night and a rejuvenating sleep. Hope you all had a great Valentines Day.

I'm finished with the chair!!

Hey ladies! I finally finished the chair. I even sewed the cushion cover by hand. I told you I hate to wait. I finished it at exactly 10 pm tonight. Wow, it looks and feels like I actually accomplished a great feat, minor as it may be. :o)

Now I can rest easy tonight. I hate leaving things undone. I will post a picture of it tomorrow after my fingers have gotten a good night's rest and the pain of the needle pricks has subsided. I'm going to go watch TV for a while and then I will turn in for the night. Mr. Sir has to go to work tonight so I will be up until he leaves then it's night night for this tired ol' lady.

I had obsessed so much over completing the work on the chair that I got heartburn (or maybe it's an ulcer). Either way, I took some Pepcid and it seemed to alleviate the problem. Now I'm going to worry about possibly having an ulcer which in turn will probably give me one if I don't have one or exacerbate the problem if I do. Argh! What is wrong with me? As if I don't have enough to worry about with the teenager quickly approaching college and the expense that goes with that. I'm going to go watch TV now before I start worrying about college tuition and my son going off to college and what if something doesn't go right, and so on and so forth. I'm giving myself a headache just thinking about things I cannot control. And to think I thought I was a super mom. Good night dears!

A new sewing machine!

Since I have been reupholstering the chair I have come to the conclusion that I cannot sew the seat cushion cover by hand. I did all the sewing by hand that needed to be done for the base and my fingers are crying for mercy. I've gone and searched for one online. I want a good one but not one that a real seamstress would use. I went to Walmart, Target, Joann's and Hancock Fabrics to see what they had to offer. Didn't like the prices so I went to Overstock. Bingo! I ordered one for a decent price.

Now, I'm going to wait until I get it to finish the cover on that cushion. I hate waiting for things but in this case it was absolutely necessary that I buy a new sewing machine as I didn't want to spend another entire day or more doing it by hand.

Swarovski crystal supplies

I went to one of my local crystal suppliers. I hadn't been there in several months since I've got a room full of jewelry making supplies already on hand. As you all know, I made the silly little necklace and earrings a few days ago and I ran out of the crystals I used on those and now don't have enough to make the matching bracelet. Why oh why must I always make jewelry in sets, I ask myself. Now is that anal or what?!

So, I go and I look and remember now I'm only going for a gross of one particular crystal in one particular color. Of course they don't even carry the double AB so I'm left with a store full of stones and crystals I hadn't planned on browsing. However, since I am a good customer and I love to shop even when I don't need things just because those things are pretty, well, I fell victim to lowly desires of the flesh. I browsed, I picked up and put back and I went back for more and put it in my "buying" tray. Argh! I left the darn place with over 100 bucks in crystals, stones and findings and not one single item I bought was even planned. Princess cleaned the floors for them as she does every time we go. She's been told by the owner that anything that is found on the floor she can keep. She has a substantial stash of her own "precious" stones and silver pieces. I tell ya, the kid can clean up when she has something to gain. Amazing how bribes work with people of all ages.

As if I don't have enough to do

Well, seeing that I feel as though I have not enough on the proverbial plate, I've gotten a wild hair. Actually, for those that know me, I have several...a head-full really. Gilda Radner (may she rest in peace) would be proud of my curly top.

Okay, wild hair aside. I've decided to repossess my chaise lounge chair from my teenage-type offspring's room. Since the cats go in his room all the time it had cat hair and I despise cat hair on any of my belongings. I got a bright idea! Yep, I get those every once in a blue moon. Anyway, I went on a hunt for fabric. In my mind, muddled as it may be, I had pictured a green, non-descriptive kind of shade....I went to Joanns and about fell over at the fabric choices....just beautiful, until I saw the price; a meager 30 bucks a yard...oh but wait, they had a 30% discount coupon. Yeah right! As if! I moseyed on down to Hancock Fabrics, same thing but only with the same sorry customer service that they've always had.

I went home sorry I couldn't find anything nice enough for the money I wanted to pay. I could handle the 10 or even 12 bucks a yard. This morning, I woke up and went into research mode. I could not believe how many fabric stores they had listed online that are supposed to be local. I jotted down some phone numbers and addresses and called before continuing on my quest. They have gone out of business, the majority. I had forgotten all about Cloth World and apparently so had everyone else because it was now gone.

Suddenly and without warning, into my curly topped head enters an extremely bright idea! Yep, two in one week, I'm tellin' ya I'm on a roll here. Harry Hines!! I am a few miles from the wholesale capital of Texas! I ponder the thought of going the 20 or so miles and think about the gas expense. I figure, what the heck, I'm going to live dangerously. Hop in my freshly repaired and clean car (thanks Liz) and I drive down to what used to be the old red light district. Ha! I'm cruising down the street and see the mess that is now Harry Hines Boulevard. They are building more wholesale warehouses than China Town sells fake Louis Vuittons.

Finally, I'm at my destination. Not before I miss the goshdarn place and have to drive around Walnut Hill and Lovers Lane a couple times. Ok, 4 times. Hey, I'm jumpy from our last accident. I certainly don't want to get rear-ended by some uninsured idiot not watching where they're going. Dallas is full of them, ya know.

Pulled into this little street and was dumbfounded by all my choices! Being the distinguished lady that I claim to be, I went into the first one. I figured I didn't want to spend all afternoon looking for fabric and I certainly didn't want to get caught in traffic on the way back home. They had some lovely fabrics. It was very hard to choose for me. I finally decided on a really nice (to me) tapestry-like print/fabric. Get this, it only cost me 3 bucks a yard! I'm in hog heaven here. I love a bargain and by golly gee, this time, I hit a home run! I am so proud of me (kisses up and down arm in delight).

I've spent a whole day taking the friggin' chaise apart. I'm willing to bet I've gone through more staples than Office Max sells in a month. Nobody told me it was going to be so hard. I'm sure it will look nice once it's done but right now, in my living room, there lies what was once a beautiful chaise lounge. Torn apart, limb by limb, er, arm rest by arm rest. I feel like I bit off more than I can chew. Lucky for me, Mr. Sir came to my rescue. He has his good points, not many but who's counting. He managed to upholster the back side of the chaise and I must admit it looks pretty darn good. I will post a pic once it's done completely.

Have a blessed night everyone!

The Earrings

Several of you emailed me wanting to see a picture of the earrings that match the necklace I made a couple days ago. Because I listen to my readers, the two or three brave ones that aren't afraid to read my mindless chatter, I am hereby posting the pic. So, ladies, here are that pair of earrings. They were a little less pain in the rear to make than the necklace but only because I stopped the insanity of all those loops I had to make for each of the dangle-y doodads. Thanks to wrapping all those loops I am now a certified arthritic, over-the-hill, peri-menopausal woman bored to her eyeballs. Well, maybe I was that before these earrings but dadgummit I have to make an excuse ya' know!

I had thought about adding more of the crystals higher up the chain but my pained and crookedly cramped fingers cried out in fear and I, being the good listener that I am, obliged. It could also be that I ran out of that color crystals. Since they are double AB on the surface and my supplier is out I figured I'd have to wait and I hate to wait. Also, I entertained - but for a fleeting moment only - going out to my local supplier; a mad Middle Easterner who calls me friend every time I go into her shop but will haggle with me on pricing until finally giving in when I threaten to go elsewhere for my supplies. Then I remembered it was midnight and no matter how close a "friend" I am to Norma, I highly doubt she would be too happy if I called her and told her I had an emergency come up and would she be so kind as to drive 20 miles in the middle of the night to open up shop for me. I'm not Oprah, you know.

I also didn't dare go to her shop yesterday, first Tuesday of the month, as it is market day at the Dallas World Trade Center. It is packed and parking is horrendous, if you can find a spot at all. I'll just wait until she is open at her shop on Saturday where there is ample parking space and I won't get run over by out-of-town, overly zealous buyers flying into big D to make their presence known at the Market Hall. Nope, I value my life more than that.

The bracelet will have to wait until Saturday and I like the earrings just the way they are. Sometimes a little bit of bling and sparkle is a lot better than too much. Let's not get too gaudy with this stuff you know. You want gaudy, look at my chunky jewelry. Hey, I can take constructive criticism, even if it's from me. Have a marvelous evening, dears. God bless each and every one of you. Hasta mañana !

I made this necklace last night!!

A lady contacted me asking me to make her a bridal ensemble for her upcoming wedding. She wanted simple. She wanted pearls and crystals. I asked her to do a couple simple things...measure her wrist, give me the length of the necklace she wants made and a few other minor details.

I have her money. I want to know why she thinks I can figure out, from a picture, how long to make the necklace. When I told her she needed to measure her wrist, her reply was..."Uh, well, my wrist is bigger than average." I asked her what size her necklace needs to be...she emailed me back saying the same size that is in the picture!! She sent me a picture that was 2 x 3 via email. Like that is going to give me specifics. I'm near the point of just sending her back her money and chalking it up to experience, a bad one at that. I don't like thinking people are not very bright but I'm seriously considering it on this one.

Last night I made this necklace. It took me forever because of all the crystals I added to the focal area. I made matching earrings too but didn't take a picture of those.

Have a great evening everyone. See all of you lovely people tomorrow. God bless!

Jewelry Sales are Good if I Only Had More Time!

Now that my teenage-type offspring is going to college 3 times a week - Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I find it difficult to book jewelry shows during the days that I am available to do them. I'm going to have to come up with a good plan to continue to do them. I need to put my thinking cap on as that leaves me with only Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. I don't do Sundays.

I've been getting the bug again to make some more jewelry. I was cleaning and organizing my craft room and I saw my inventory of jewelry making supplies and call me sentimental but my tummy got butterflies. I wanted to sit down and play with the silly stuff. The crystals sparkled at me as if daring me to pick them up and create something marvelously blingy with them. The stones -- turquoise, rubies, coral, jade; among others, looked so pretty in a rainbow of colors. The silver beckoned me with its shiny bright reflection. The details of the Balinese silver beads with their intricate patterns took me back to when I first started making jewelry. It is so much fun to make it and then watch people's expression as they pick up a piece, admire it, put it back down, turn back pick it up again and come and pay me for something I enjoyed making so much.

There's nothing like the thrill of selling a beautiful creation made by your own hands. Some, I admit, look really nice; others, I finish making them and I shudder at their "ugliness" and wonder if anyone will ever like that one piece that I find dreadful. Amazingly someone always does. It's funny how beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

Ebay's fees are going down - so they say....Ha!

I got an email from Ebay, as I'm sure millions of others did, saying that they have listened to their loyal followers--sounds like a cult to me now. According to them, they are lowering their listing fees and their gallery fees, yada yada yada. That's all well and good but if you look at the fact that they are raising their final value fees, among other fees, they continue to nickel and dime you to death. I had been thinking of listing some things that I have just taking up space in my already too cramped abode but now I'm rethinking that bright idea.

What gets me is why would Ebay send out this information when it really doesn't save the seller any money? They didn't actually LOWER the fees, they just redistributed them so that people that aren't paying attention will fall for their marketing tactics. They've gotten so greedy that I think someone that has the intelligence and time, to build a similar website, should give them a run for their money. Why couldn't they leave well enough alone? They were already making money hand over fist on fees from sellers.

Maybe I'll talk to my teenage type offspring about getting some of his like-minded friends to get together and see if they can all put their noodles to work and come up with something brilliant. He's been complaining that he needs money and wants to work. He prides himself with being a nerd/geek. Maybe, just maybe, he is sitting on a goldmine and isn't even aware of it. He told me when he was 5 years old that he would be the next Bill Gates when he grew up. I think it is time I put him to the test, huh? After all, he spends hours on end in front of the computer writing all kinds of programs. Since he's there already he may as well put that time to even better use.

What, dear friends, readers and lurkers alike, say you? Am I blowing a bunch of hot air because I've nothing better to do on a Saturday morning when all are still asleep? Is it a pipe dream? Could it be possible that a couple of teens heck-bent on conquering the cyber-world in this manner succeed? Be honest with me, I promise I won't cry if you hurt my feelings. If I do, you won't know about it. Send me your bright ideas. I know you guys are all brilliant, after all, you do read my blog religiously, correct? I rest my case.

Waiting with bated breath on your comments, drive by postings or mocking email sent to me at this email address.

Have a marvelous weekend everyone!!

My Car Is NOT Ready as promised...ARGHHHH!!

Well, I took a friend's recommendation to heart and took my car in to have the minor body damage repaired. I dropped it off on Monday morning. I was told it would be ready in 3-4 days but for sure by Friday (today). I called the idiot man and he said it wasn't ready yet. I told him he'd had it since Monday and the fool said he didn't actually get to it until Wednesday!!! I am livid. I'm going to bite my tongue for now. Why the foolish man couldn't tell me this when I dropped it off is totally unbelievable. I'm paying this idiotic person a pretty penny and he gives me nothing but excuses. He has a satisfactory rating from the BBB but I'll make sure that he doesn't after I get my car back.

So, here I have been making do without a vehicle because I figured I'd have it by today. WRONG!! Oh, gosh dang it! I so regret taking it to him now. I had three other estimates. The first one was the highest but they were straightforward. I so wish I had gone with him instead of the fool that I picked on this friend's recommendation. Once I get my car back, I will post the name here so if anybody does a search for him they will find out he is not very honest at all.