Monday’s ‘Musement

 

Just a giggle for this morning!

How many of you tried # 3???

Tip Day

If you're here from the Grow Your Blog Party, you'll find that post and give-away here

I found these tips on Quilter’s Connection magazine blog-site, wanted to pass them on, with some comments from myself:
1.  Purchase a rubber jar opener and place in under your sewing machine foot control to prevent it from moving around on you.
I actually have a Velcro mat under my foot pedal, which was a gift a few years back, and I love it.  No more hunting around to find that pedal!  This sounds like a perfect idea – or use some of that non-slip rubber material if you have some on hand.  Anybody that has a trailer or motor home probably has lots of it!

2.  Before doing any hand sewing, run your thread through a dryer sheet to prevent knots.
Oh, those knots!  Gotta try this one – I knew there was a good reason for those dryer sheets!
3.  To keep your rotary cutter in tip-top shape, take it apart and clean off the lint after cutting all the fabric for a quilt.
A great tip – and works for almost everything sewing-related.  Clean up that lint on your cutting board, under the bobbin on your sewing machine, stuck to your scissors.  Makes everything hum along the way it should.
4.  Place a couple of dabs of clear nail polish on the bottom of your cutting rulers & sprinkle with salt. Let dry. This will prevent slippage on your fabric.
Gotta get me some clear nail polish!  Years ago I was given some non-slip plastic backing, which covered the two rulers that I used the most.  But since then have purchased a few more rulers, this sounds like it will work at a much lower cost!
5.  Never use canned air to clean your machine – it can blow the dirt and fibers into the mechanical parts and do more damage, and has moisture which could cause rusting.
And don’t blow into the bobbin space, same thing!  Use a brush to pull the lint out, or try to get a vacuum attachment that will suck it out safely.
6.  If your local shop offers free classes when you purchase a new sewing machine – take them, even if you are an experienced sewer/quilter. You’ll learn something new, guaranteed.
Absolutely a necessity!  My friend, a sewer of many years, purchased her first machine in over 20 years.  All the new tricks, gadgets, extras, feet…..opens up a whole new world.  And every new machine comes with something better than the last one.
7.  To help with free-motion quilting, doodle in a notepad for practice.
Apparently this is to aid hand-eye coordination, and makes for smoother sewing.  Can’t say I’ve tried it much, because I get bored with doodling after a very, very short time!
8.  Have several different size thimbles on hand for hand quilting/sewing – your finger size changes depending on the time of day/temperature.
I just really don’t like thimbles, makes me feel even more clumsy than I already am, but this does make sense for those that use thimbles.
9.  Wash your cutting mat regularly with mild soap and water – it’s amazing how dirty it can get.
And just like anything else,keeping it clean will extend its life
10. Regularly wash your sewing scissors in warm soapy water & dry immediately. And, after each use, wipe away dust & lint with a clean dry cloth. They’ll stay sharper longer.
See # 3 and # 9
11. Use a thread colour that matches your applique piece, NOT your background fabric.
Oh, yes, unless you want the satin stitch or blanket stitch to stand out!  Like on these:

12. When hand quilting/sewing, ‘pre-thread’ six or more needles so you don’t have to stop to re-thread, and lose your momentum.
Personally I like to stop and rethread, changes my position, and eases the tension in my shoulders
13. Paper piecing? Shorten your stitch length so the paper will tear off easily when your done.
And use paper that tears easily, like the soft craft paper available in dollar stores (kind of beige in color), not printer paper
14. Can’t decide on a layout? Put the blocks on your design wall and take a photo. Each time you change around, take another photo, then pick your favourite.
It’s amazing what you see in a photo that you don’t see otherwise.  To concentrate your eye, try using a peep-hole – you know the ones that are in apartment doors, available in almost any hardware store – or circle your fingers and place over your eye.


15. Take photos & keep receipts of your important quilts. Will help in evaluating them, and for insurance purposes.
Photos, photos, photos.  Nothing better than a photo for proof of ownership.  Not sure how much more value insurance will give a hand-made quilt over a retail purchase, but keeping the receipts can’t hurt.  I never thought of this before, but it IS a good idea!
16.  Refold stored quilts periodically to prevent permanent creases and damage.
Some say refold with each new season, or at time-change.  It’s at least a target date to be able to remember when it was last done and needs to be done again.
17. When laying your quilt top onto the backing and batting, always ‘pat’ the top down, never ‘smooth’ it out. Smoothing could stretch the top so it doesn’t lie straight.
Actually I think sometimes I need to ‘smooth’ to get it lying straight again.  Those big quilts never lie down straight for me!
18.  Did you know one side of the eye of a needle is bigger than the other? If you have trouble threading your needle, try turning it around.
This really does work – I’ve had to do it time and time again!
19.The best height for your cutting table should be between 34″-36″ (that’s for an average height female) high to prevent strain and injury on your back when standing to cut fabric.
Okay, so what’s an ‘average height female’?  I think each person needs to experiment a bit.  Recently I’ve discovered my dining room table works really well for me, when I’m wearing my new slippers with the 1” heel.  I’m not bending over as much, and I’m lifting my shoulder the way I have to if I use the kitchen island.  To raise a table to a good cutting height, there are lifts available out there – try Wal-Mart – or sometimes a handy husband works too!  This was discussed on Sew Many Ways blog some years ago

20. Cutting same-width strips from multiple fabrics (ie. for log cabin)? Save time – layer the fabrics and cut them all at once.
Be careful, too many layers and they can slip on you.  Some quilters have said to me they cut up to 8 layers at a time.  I find 4 layers is safest for me.
21. A 3-ring binder stores all your loose patterns. Put pattern envelopes in a page protector. Use dividers to separate ie: applique, stack n’ whack, etc.
For patterns already in packages, magazine holders make for perfect organized storage.
22. Make a habit of cleaning your sewing machine after every project. Follow the mfgr’s instructions, and don’t forget to change the needle too. Your machine will love you for it!
No comment necessary – see #3, 9, 10
23. If you’re hand basting your quilt, thread your needle & leave the other end attached to the spool – that way you never run out of thread! Just gently pull it through the fabric as you need more.
Are you kidding?  If I tried this, I’d have a ‘gathered’ quilt for sure!  But then, I’ve never tried it.  I can’t see me crawling around on the floor to accomplish this
24. Giving the gift of a quilt to a friend or family member? Don’t forget to include washing instructions.
Hmmm….another label?
25. Having troubles with the values of your fabrics? Photograph them in black & white – the darks, mediums, and lights will be much easier to spot.
This really does work, and helps too when trying different layouts.

Happy tips!                  Blessings, Peg

It Was a Race

As we left the Calgary area a few days ago, we happened on a bike race.  I always wonder at people who like to ride bikes, sitting on those little tiny seats … with their backs to traffic.  Not for me, but apparently fun for some.

There must have been thousands, we drove past about 40 km of bikers.  Around every corner, topping every rise, it was bicyclists as far as we could see:

Some riders had numbers on their backs, the largest I noticed was 1940.

Some scary moments, when cars wanted to pass on the right side (yes, at those times it was a 4-lane road, but still most drivers wanted to stay away from the bikers), and when bikers would try to pass each other moving out into the car lane and cars couldn’t move over.

Kudos to them, but I’ll either drive, or walk facing traffic so I know what’s coming at me!

Happy races!                          Blessings, Peg

Summer Hop-About

Don’t you just love to visit quilt shops and quilt shows?  Well I do!  And as a matter of fact our first summer RV trip this is going to let me take in a quilt show.  But more about that in another post.

Along with visiting shops and shows, I love to visit quilters’ studios.  I’m always fascinated with the work going on, the projects, the stashes, the organization, the plans.  Yesterday, I stopped in to chat with the quilting ladies at Holiday Park in Kelowna (where my parents used to live – as of yesterday).  I always go home inspired by them!

One of them had made this adorable little quilt for LV:

 

Well, this summer Mad About Patchwork is hosting a blog hop visiting quilters’ studios.

Every Sunday for the summer, 2 Canadian quilters’ studios will be featured.  This week it’s Patti and Krista.  Just click on the link or the button above to start the hop! 

Happy hopping!                      Blessings, Peg

Wednesday’s Words and Hodgepodge

Wednesday again – Hump Day, especially for those who work Monday to Friday – and time once again to pause mid-week and share a few thoughts.  If you want to read others’ midweek thoughts, please click on the icon on my side-bar.

1. Are you settling for something?

Is it settling if you’ve adjusted and accepted the way things are?  If so, then I guess I’m settling.  We’ve been trying to sell our house for the last while, and for some reason it’s just not moving.  When we moved here, it was with the intent that it would be just until I finished working, and then we’d move out of the valley to a quieter life-style.  Over the years, two of our children moved to Alberta, and as we visited them, we fell in love with much of what Alberta has to offer.  I ‘retired’ 5 years ago, finished working 1 1/2 years ago – we’re still here!  We’re not sure why, we believe that God has a plan, just wishing we knew what it was.  But no matter what, we’re happy, healthy, having a good time in retirement.  So yes, settled – at least for now!  LOL

2.  It wasn't that long ago almost every store in the US locked doors and turned out lights on Thanksgiving Day. This year many will be open all day Thursday, giving shoppers a jump start on 'Black Friday'. In your opinion is this a good thing or a not so good thing? Will you be shopping on Thanksgiving Day?

I remember the days when we didn’t shop on Thanksgiving (in Canada a whole month earlier than the US), or on Easter, or on Christmas Day, or even on Sundays.  These were days to worship, to spend with family, to rest and relax.  Now……the world has changed!  But I still don’t shop on Thanksgiving or Easter or Christmas – or Black Friday, or Boxing Day or any other of the crazy sale days that happen out there.  Crowds and traffic and fighting through them all only to be disappointed in the sale offerings is just not for me.

3. Speaking of shopping...I saw a recent article on the twelve best shopping cities in the world. In order they are-New York, Tokyo, London, Kuala Lumpur, Paris, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, Vienna, Dubai, Madrid, Milan, and Seoul.
Ever shopped in any of the cities listed? In which city would you most like to pull out the plastic or cold hard cash?

Never been to any of them – yet – but have always dreamed of shopping in New York.  Not sure why, because I really don’t like to shop, and really don’t like crowds, but it’s on the bucket list!  Maybe someday!

4. When did you last dine by candlelight?

Whoooo…..can’t even remember.  I often light candles at the dinner table when we have company, or for a special dinner at home with Grizz, but the times in our youth when I turned down (or off) the lights to enjoy the candles, I only heard about how we couldn’t see what we were eating.  So the lights stay on, even when the candles are lit!

5. What do you have too much of?

Is it ever possible to have too much of something???  Well, actually, I do have to have too much fat on my body, but then that’s because I enjoy all the other things of which maybe I have too much.

6. The Hunger Games...are you a fan? Did you read the book(s)? Will you/have you see the movie? Will you/have you seen Catching Fire?

Haven’t even tried any of them, although Grizz and some of our kids have thoroughly enjoyed them.  But then they just tell me that I wouldn’t like them, so I just ignore them.  Jennifer Chiaverini is much more my style.

7. Share your plans for Thanksgiving Day. The who, the where, the what..especially the what! As in what's for dinner? If you're one of my International visitors, whose homeland doesn't celebrate American Thanksgiving (the whole world doesn't ya know!) then still tell us your plans for Thursday.

As Thanksgiving Day in Canada is long past, I can only share what we did – a totally unusual TDay for us, as Grizz was just a few weeks past knee surgery, and we felt it would be more than he could handle to either have the whole gang in or to go out for the day.  We had a quiet dinner one evening with our DS2 and DDIL1, then another afternoon Grizz’s sister and husband came by for a visit.  Quiet, but nice – and a good decision, as Grizz really was still tiring quite quickly and experiencing a lot of pain at that time.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

This past week, I’ve spent a lot of time blog-hopping (Blogathon Canada and Quilting Blogger Blog Hop Party).  Lots of fun, lots of new blogger-friends.  And an added bonus – I’ve achieved a minor milestone of 150 (official) followers.  So happy to have followers, so happy to hear from them, so happy to be making new friends.  Welcome aboard all!

Happy blogging!              Blessings, Peg

Monday’s ‘Musement

I laughed till I peed my pants!

I guess, according to this, I’m not a real woman. 

My house is only clean for the first 5 minutes after I clean it, and I refuse to clean every 5 minutes.  Organized – well, yes, if nobody else moves anything from where I put it. 

I’m dressed…..by noon each day, well-dressed only on occasion.  And my hair only looks ‘done’ for the first 5 minutes after I leave the hairdresser, and then it’s anybody’s guess what the style is.

I behave gracefully for the first 5 minutes in all circumstances, other than that, well, let’s just say I have my own way of doing things.   And, yes, I’ve been known to swear, but let’s not go there!

Patience – well, sigh, if I have to wait, have to understand, have to tolerate, have to agree for 5 minutes…..then yes, I have all the patience in the world, and I smile through it all, yes, I do, that smile is painted on my face and nobody and nothing will take it away for at least 5 minutes.  There’s always something nice about everybody in the first 5 minutes after meeting them, isn’t there???

It’s a dream, and I can aspire to a dream, and dream that it’ll come true someday.  In the meantime, I just keep trying.  Maybe someday I’ll get there.

Happy dreams!                  Blessings, Peg

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Monday’s ‘Musement

When did being polite become the butt of jokes?

This was on FB a few days ago:

I was always told to be polite, especially to my elders.  My father always opened doors for ladies, got the car door for my mother, walked on the outside of the sidewalk.  My mother always said ‘please’ and ‘thank you’.  We were always told to share whatever we had with whoever else was around – toys, food, space on the couch.  My sister and I even had to help with the dishes at my cousins’ house when we arrived after dinner and they were still cleaning up. 

What’s wrong with that? 

Is it just me, or is our world getting less considerate and more selfish all the time?

And why is it that if you are polite, you must be Canadian, and that’s a slur?  I say, let’s be polite, and let’s be proud to be a polite Canadian.  And if other nationalities are polite, and mistaken for a Canadian – well, then, welcome to the club!

Just my humble opinion!            Blessings, Peg

Wednesday’s Words and Hodgepodge

It’s Wednesday again – let’s see what there is to share.  If you want to read more, just click on the link on my sidebar.

1. Describe a typical Sunday in your childhood.

Sunday in my childhood meant chicken for dinner, and a trip to visit grandparents or cousins or both.

2. How comfortable are you with uncertainty?  Explain.

I really dislike uncertainty.  I like to know where I’m headed, when I’m going there, how it will all come together.  As a planner and organizer, I really do like to have all my ducks in a row.

3. What's something you've accomplished recently that might be described as crafty, as in 'arts and crafts' crafty? If crafty doesn't work for you, how about handy? Or both.

Recently I finished a Christmas project, thought it was going to be cross-stitch, only to discover it was needlepoint when I got right down to reading the instructions after saving the magazines for several years.  After finishing the stitching, then there was assembly.  Really happy with how it turned out:

4. Have you ever worked in a 'food place'. What did you take away from the experience?

I did a couple of stints waitressing in small restaurants while in high school.  I learned that I love fruit salad, and that dishes should never be dried because tea towels are dirtier than the air (still don’t dry dishes if I don’t have to! LOL).

5. Cold turkey, talk turkey, what a turkey...in recent days, which turkey phrase or idiom best applies to you and why?  Click on the word turkey if you need to read more about the meaning behind each phrase.

A few days ago, I decided to bake some cookies.  Not a hard thing to do, I’ve done it before, know what I’m doing – right!  Well, apparently not so right!  I was a real turkey – adding flour while the mixer was going (you should have seen the ‘snow’), dropping an egg in without cracking it open first (again while the mixer was running).  Not so sure what I was thinking, but it sure made for some mad scrambles!!!  Reminded me of baking days with my daughter.

  The cookies were good though!

6. If you could have any one guest join your Thanksgiving dinner table, who would it be?

My fondest with is to have my kids all home for Thanksgiving – hasn’t happened in a lot of years.

7. What is one thing you must accomplish today?

There are no ‘must-do’s’ on the list for today, and number of want-to-do’s like sew a couple of challenge quilt blocks, or put binding on a quilt, or make another Christmas ornament.  Then there’s ‘some day soon we should make a Costco run’ – that’s probably the one that will get done first.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

In many ways this has been a lazy week.  Not sure why, but I can’t seem to settle down to doing much of anything.  I pick up a book, put it down; pick up a sewing project, put it down; turn on the TV, wander away; head for the computer, forget why I went there and play some solitaire.  I tried to start a knitting project, discovered that I need to teach myself how to knit all over again, and then finally got going and discovered my needles are too small, so that all came out again.  Guess I need to find a purpose somewhere and then get a move on.  This all probably relates back to my need for certainty.  There are a few things a little uncertain right now – just need to wait out the time to see how it will all turn out.

Here’s to a happy Thanksgiving (US) season!     Blessings, Peg

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Monday’s ‘Musement

Oh, how delightful to have a little one ‘tell’:

We’re awaiting our first grandchild (well, actually 3rd, but the first two were born way too early and only survived a very short time), and anticipating all the delights of grand-parenting.  It’s with excitement and joy that we await meeting our little Gracie (my name for her).

My dad said, a while back, ‘you sure waited a long time for this’.  And he’s right.  I’m the oldest of six, and four of the others are already grandparents for a few years already.  Somehow, in the last 10 years or so, I’ve suddenly become a grandmother-in-waiting, and feel like the only reason we had children was so that we could become grandparents (not actually true at the time but…..).  Somebody said a while back that grandchildren complete the cycle of life, and many times I think that must be true, especially as I see and hear others’ delight in this phase of life. 

While we’re excited and joyful and happily anticipating meeting this new little person, we also are anxious and worried.  Gracie is threatening to join us out here in the big wide world, and we all know she’s not yet ready at only 23 weeks.  Mama and Papa and various doctors are all trying to persuade her to be patient, and much, much work is being done around that and also to help her to be as ready as possible when she makes her debut. 

In the meantime, the best – and hardest - thing that Mama can do is stay in bed.  As a consequence, her MIL is with her now for a few days, and then I’m headed out for a while – to cook and clean and keep her distracted somewhat from ‘baby’ thinking.  I leave tomorrow, so quilting is on hold, and blogging may be even more spotty than it is already.

All positive thoughts and prayers welcome!     Blessings, Peg

Grow Your Blog

I’m going to a party – and you’re all invited to come along!

It’s a blog party (of course) and an opportunity to meet new blogger friends. 

Victoria, over at 2 Bags Full, is hosting this party, asking that participants introduce themselves and their blogs, with the possibility of adding blogs to our reading lists and/or adding followers to our blogs.  Many will also be offering give-aways to any who comment – you’ll find details of my give-away at the bottom of this post.  To find the list of participants, simply follow the link on my side-bar.

But first, to the business of introducing myself:

My name is Peg, I’m wife of over 40 years to Grizz who at least pretends to understand why I do what I do and supports no matter what; mother to six, three born to us and three added by marriage; Christ-follower; quilter; cross stitcher; and soon to be grandmother.

This picture was taken last September when we had a rare half hour when we were all together in one spot.  My parents, on the left, were there with us.  The three children born to us are the two boys in dark blue and the girl in the white top standing next to Grizz.  I’m the one on the other side of Grizz, peeking out from behind the shoulder, not sure how that happened LOL! 

This blog was started as a journal, more than anything a quilting journal, when I retired a few years ago.  Even though quilting is the main topic, I’ve included family times, travel adventures, some cross-stitch and even occasional knitting projects, geo-caching treks, volunteer efforts, happenings in the world around me, and sometimes just some words about things I see and hear.

My blog banner includes some of my favorite quilts, and here are a few others:

 

 

Cross-stitching has long been a passion of mine, and it’s a rare evening when I don’t have a piece in my hands.  Just a few months ago, I completed this years-long project:

It is finally off at the framer’s – I can hardly wait to hang it on the wall, and there will surely be a picture to share!

We love to travel, have a trailer that has taken us on two cross-country trips as well as to Alaska and California and various closer-to-home destinations over the years.  We’ve also enjoyed a few cruises.  Stay tuned for our next travelogue!! 

As I said earlier, we’re expecting our first grandchild in a few months, and I’m sure there will be lots to share when she comes along!  Now she’s about 10 inches long and weighs about a pound, and is very, very squirmy!  She’s keeping us all on our toes already, and much, much care is being taken to ensure that she waits as long as possible before facing the big, wide world out here.

 

And now for a give-away.  Because I’m a quilter, and I do try to focus my blog on quilting, this give-away will be somewhat aimed at quilters, but I hope others could find these useful.  The winning person will receive the following (these are pictures from the patterns, the actual projects are not yet made):

This little coaster could sit nicely beside your sewing machine.  Pattern found on Made by Ale.  Non-sewers can put it anywhere, and let everybody think they sew!

A lovely little pin-cushion based on the pattern found at I Sew Free.  Even if you’re not a quilter, or even a sewer, a pincushion surely comes in handy when something needs to be mended.

I may add in another goodie or two, time will tell!

No requirements other than a comment.  Say, for my own inspiration in deciding what I could add to the package, why don’t you tell me what your favorite hobby is.

If you don’t have a blog, or a Google account, simply send an email (click on my blog profile left side-bar).  Please be sure that you provide a way for me to contact you – in other words, don’t be a no-reply commenter, or put your email address in your comment.

Winner will be drawn on February 15.

Happy, happy blog party!                Blessings, Peg

Lash Masters (Volume 1)

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Product Description
Lash Masters is the first of its kind book. Bringing together some of the best Lash Masters in the beauty industry. Ranging from expert therapists and training providers to product manufacturers. Learn how these experts got started in the industry, their story and the insights they have for you. Truly inspirational!

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Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

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• 12 Years Old
• Bottled by Distillery Bottling

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Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best Books of the Month, November 2010: From Laura Hillenbrand, the bestselling author of Seabiscuit, comes Unbroken, the inspiring true story of a man who lived through a series of catastrophes almost too incredible to be believed. In evocative, immediate descriptions, Hillenbrand unfurls the story of Louie Zamperini--a juvenile delinquent-turned-Olympic runner-turned-Army hero. During a routine search mission over the Pacific, Louies plane crashed into the ocean, and what happened to him over the next three years of his life is a story that will keep you glued to the pages, eagerly awaiting the next turn in the story and fearing it at the same time. Youll cheer for the man who somehow maintained his selfhood and humanity despite the monumental degradations he suffered, and youll want to share this book with everyone you know. --Juliet Disparte

The Story of Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Eight years ago, an old man told me a story that took my breath away. His name was Louie Zamperini, and from the day I first spoke to him, his almost incomprehensibly dramatic life was my obsession.

It was a horse--the subject of my first book, Seabiscuit: An American Legend--who led me to Louie. As I researched the Depression-era racehorse, I kept coming across stories about Louie, a 1930s track star who endured an amazing odyssey in World War II. I knew only a little about him then, but I couldnt shake him from my mind. After I finished Seabiscuit, I tracked Louie down, called him and asked about his life. For the next hour, he had me transfixed.

Growing up in California in the 1920s, Louie was a hellraiser, stealing everything edible that he could carry, staging elaborate pranks, getting in fistfights, and bedeviling the local police. But as a teenager, he emerged as one of the greatest runners America had ever seen, competing at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he put on a sensational performance, crossed paths with Hitler, and stole a German flag right off the Reich Chancellery. He was preparing for the 1940 Olympics, and closing in on the fabled four-minute mile, when World War II began. Louie joined the Army Air Corps, becoming a bombardier. Stationed on Oahu, he survived harrowing combat, including an epic air battle that ended when his plane crash-landed, some six hundred holes in its fuselage and half the crew seriously wounded.

On a May afternoon in 1943, Louie took off on a search mission for a lost plane. Somewhere over the Pacific, the engines on his bomber failed. The plane plummeted into the sea, leaving Louie and two other men stranded on a tiny raft. Drifting for weeks and thousands of miles, they endured starvation and desperate thirst, sharks that leapt aboard the raft, trying to drag them off, a machine-gun attack from a Japanese bomber, and a typhoon with waves some forty feet high. At last, they spotted an

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A Halloween (Blog-Hop) Party

Happy Halloween to you all.

We’re not big on Halloween in this house, and generally tend to try to ignore it.  But this morning, I found a Halloween Blog Hop that was lots of fun, and inspiring for anybody who loves to cross-stitch.  So why not head over to Serendipitous Stitching and hop around, discover the mystery phrase, and see all the wonderful stitching that these folks have done for Halloween (and lots of other occasions as well).  And you might win a prize while you’re at it!

Happy Halloween Hop!               Blessings, Peg

Makeup Makeovers Beauty Bible: Expert Secrets for Stunning Transformations

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Product Description

Forget extreme makeovers! Robert Jones, makeup artist extraordinaire, outlines step-by-step how even the ugliest duckling can become a swanwith makeup alone! In hundreds of awe-inspiring before-and-after photos, Robert makes it easy for any woman to achieve true beauty in this book, which has become the definitive encyclopedia on the subject. Unlike most makeup books that focus on celebrities or the already-glamorous, this book shows every woman how to be her most beautiful. No matter what your age, skin tone, or profile, Robert can show you simple techniques that camouflage flaws and highlight each woman's unique beauty. Best of all, it's EASY! Even if you've never worn makeup before, you can learn how to bring out your best in just a few minutes.

This stunning book is also a full-color guide to applying wedding makeup, with countless stunning before-and-after pictures of regular women throughout. It is highly instructional and does not just show model perfect women, instead it focuses on the girl next door, your best friend and you. Every woman can be beautiful on her wedding day, no matter what her age or ethnic background, with Robert's makeup techniques. It features special makeup techniques for morning, midday, afternoon and evening weddings; because with each time of day you will photograph differently and as we all know one of the most important things to think about is how you will photograph. There are also chapters on more makeup tricks for wedding photos, and, of course, makeup for bridesmaids and matrons of honor.

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Noah’s Ark

On our way home, our last campground was ‘Noah’s Ark’.  We’d always been curious to stop there, and had read good reviews.  It was a lovely place to stop, very friendly people, including an owner named Noah….

Who is building an Ark:

It’s amazing – built apparently on a boat hull, they serve frozen yogurt there.  A must-stop for every camping traveler!

Happy camping!                   Blessings, Peg