Finished Quilt & Garden Party

I finished hand sewing the back of the binding on the baby quilt Friday night at 11:30pm.

The front

The back

Close up of back quilting

Folded and ready to wrap

On Saturday, we held a fund raiser for The Walk To End Breast Cancer, which my sister (a 32 yr breast cancer survivor), has participated in for 6 yrs running.

It is a 60 Km 2-day walk through the streets of Toronto on Sept. 6 & 7. She has to raise $2000 each year in order to participate in the walk.

To read her story, click here.

With the funds raised today, the proceeds from several yard sales, and donations from friends and family, she has achieved her goal.

My friend L hosted a margarita party in her backyard as today's fund raiser. I was a nice hot non-rainy day and a good time was had by all.

And I'll throw in a couple Peanut pictures just because I can't stop taking her picture.

Bandana Shorts

Remember those skull bandanas I bought yesterday? Well this is what became of them.


The fabric is thin, so J will use them as PJ shorts instead of regular shorts.

I first saw them on Polka Dot Cottage. She linked to this tutorial.

These are really easy. They took me approx. 30 mins to make.

Now that I know how to make them, I will just use squares of fabric instead of bandanas. These can easily be modified into PJ pants too. I'm thinking some nice snuggy flannel ones for Christmas time.

Latest Value Village Finds

This afternoon my sister D and I took a trip to Value Village.

Here is what I scored:

This will become my sewing chair $14.99 - I have
a perfect piece of tapestry fabric to recover the seat.These are leather Bandolino's - I found these similar ones online for $70
- these are barely worn and I paid $17.99

This is a valance but I liked the fabric so will unstitch it
and use it in quilts or something - $0.99

Brand new baby outfit and Baby Gap shoes, both with tags for
when my niece's daughter is born -$4.99 for all

Brand new baby slippers for nephew's baby on the way - $0.99

Queen size vintage sheet - I love the retro pattern - $3.99
I am thinking lounging pants - I'll leave the trim at the bottom.

2 new skull bandanas - $1 each
I have a project in mind for these - will post about it soon.

Harry Potter twin size sheet set - looks brand new - for J
$6.99 for the set

Oh, I also bought myself a pair of shorts, a tank top and a summer blouse.

I love Value village :D

UPDATE: I have finished quilting the baby quilt and have sewn the binding on the front, now all I have to do is hand stitch the binding to the back. Hope to be finished tomorrow and will post pics then.

Another day, another year

Today I am 41 years old. How the heck did that happen - yesterday I was 20!

Hubby left me a gift this morning.

He got me a new journal (although I haven't yet started using the journal he got me for Valentine's day), 2 pens, a candle set and a 4 Gig USB flash drive. He did pretty well - I wanted and will use all of these things.

Yesterday was our 1 yr anniversary in this house. Time really does go by quickly. It doesn't seem that long ago that we moved in and the list of stuff we have to do to the house is still a mile long.

An update on Peanut - she learned to get out of the Rubbermaid container at night, so I started leaving her in her crate. She did very well and didn't cry. However, I don't think she cares for that much, she has started messing in her crate during the day again. Several times per day. It's almost as if she had never trained. I think it is her way of getting back at me. Oh well.

Here are some cute pictures of Peanut. One day I will get tired of taking her picture. Until then please bear with me.

Trying to steal Kodi's bone but she can't lift it.
They aren't really biting each other.She did the dog paddle when held in the fountain

In totally different news, I reconnected with an old friend L via Facebook yesterday. Actually, she found me. We had been friends between the ages of 15 to 19. We lost track of each other after I moved away. It is really cool to hear what people are doing now and to reminisce about all the times we had back then.

L and I used to go to the Terrace - a roller rink in downtown Toronto. We used to go to a local bar while still under-age. The bartender knew us well and apologized the first time he carded me and then found that I had only just turned 19 that week - we had been going there for a couple years.

We were bold and unafraid.
We were going to do something wonderful
with our lives and leave our mark.
We were going to set the world on fire.

Oh to be young again :)

Been a long time

I apologize about not blogging for so long. But as I mentioned, I got a new puppy. I have done this before - get a new puppy, but I think it is like giving birth, once it is over, you forget all the pain....until the next time.

I asked my DH to buy her a stuffy to cuddle - this is what he got.
It is twice her size! She still mauls it and falls asleep on it regularly.

Actually, I think having a real baby might have been easier, I mean I would still have to get up at 2am, but wouldn't have to cart a newborn into the rain soaked backyard in my jammies to do its business. And eventually with a child, they grow up and you can make them do stuff, like take out the garbage or grab you a pop. Can't get a dog to do those things. However, a dog doesn't talk back as often and you can leave them at home easier.

Dinner time

Trying to hide in the grass

So Peanut is sleeping through the night...if I sleep with her...in the guest bed. Not a good solution.
Last night we put her in a large Rubbermaid tote (no lid - I'm not cruel) next to J's bed. She slept until 4am and then when J put his hand in to pet her back to sleep, she decided she would rather play with him. So again I ended up in the guest bed with her. We will get through this eventually. She has a crate that she sleeps in during the day no problem. But I think Kodi keeps her awake at night so she doesn't like to sleep there then. Once she is house trained I will let her sleep with J in his bed.

Cuddling with J on the couch

Asleep in a box in my office

I have managed (while she naps) to get a bit of sewing done. The 2nd baby quilt top is finished. Now I have to sandwich it and start the actual quilting of it. I have a week and a half until the baby shower.


I was at a family BBQ this weekend and my sister H mentioned that she and some of her co-workers at Telus read my blog occasionally.

So hey you guys why aren't you commenting?

Start commenting or I will tell your boss that you are surfing the net during work hours - cause you know I have never done that :D

In other news, one of my son's fish had babies AGAIN! We caught 24! this time. Did I mention the male fish died about a month ago? Did I also mention that the female saves the sperm to fertilize herself? Ya...both females still look pregnant so I wouldn't be surprised if we find more someday soon. I have no idea what we are going to do with them all. We now have approx. 40 fry, 14 that are about 3 weeks old, and 24 that are a few days old.

You can see the size difference here

And here - getting crowded in there!

That's all I have for now - I hope it won't be so long until my next post - who knew puppies could be so much work....oh ya I did. DUH.

Been busy - here is why

We have a new family member.

Her name is Peanut.

Peanut is an 11wk old Boston terrier.

She is adorable. She loves J.


At first, Peanut isn't too sure of Kodi.

But then she decides she kinda likes him - just keep him a little ways away. Kodi likes Peanut - he really wants to play with her, but is a little too rambunctious right now. He keeps trying to shake paws with her and smackin her in the face - poor pup :D

See I have been wanting a lap dog for some time now, but my friends just got an 8 wk old Boston pup 2 days ago and I fell in love with their Maggie, so.....

This is Maggie & Peanut. Peanut has the red collar and Maggie has the yellow collar. They look a lot alike but are from different breeders.


After we got Kodi, almost two years ago, I said I wouldn't get a another puppy again. Sheeesh I never learn. I haven't slept much the past couple nights. Peanut likes to be cuddled and doesn't like to be put in her crate. We are buying her a stuffy today. I used a small towel last night that I cuddled her in and that helped some.

In other news, my phone has been out since a lightning storm on Wednesday night - last week - just got it fixed today. And our beach trip on Friday? It rained. We had a couple nice hours though. I am really sick of rain.

Have been busy

update on why I've been busy coming later today if I'm not too busy :D

Friday Fodder

My family and I are off to the beach today, so while we are sunning ourselves to crispiness and frolicking in the waves, you can ponder some of the stuff that floats around in my brain.

• Which is worse, reaching for your coffee cup and finding it empty or reaching for it, taking that last gulp and finding it ice cold?

• You should be allowed to smack people that slurp every single sip of their coffee.

• Why do people who whistle assume I want to hear them whistle? Do you want to hear me sing?

• To my chiropractor and my hair stylist…this is the closest thing I get to a massage. Please don’t be chatty I'm trying to relax.

• To the guy in front of me at the post office…it is pronounced Fra jial…..not Fra geelly.

• It is not ok to park your cart in the middle of the aisle – whether at Wally mart or the grocery store…move over!

• Etiquette classes should be mandatory for all kids…I hate to see a collage grad holding his fork in a fist. I don’t care how many degrees you have, you look like an idiot when you do that.

• Common sense really isn’t common anymore.

• Someone told me I had too many grey hairs and that I was fat. I told them they were ugly and that I can lose weight and colour my hair but ugly is permanent.

• Why does my dumb dog eat, gag and them vomit up rubber bands…and then do it all over again 10 minutes later?

• Why are people willing to pay $5 for a daily Starbucks coffee, but freak out and complain when gas goes up 2 cents?

• Why can my husband remember what song was released Aug 12, 1974 but cannot tell me what he had for lunch yesterday?

• For years when we were first married, my husband asked me to do things a certain way (e.g., unplug toaster). Now that I do them that way, he doesn’t.

• You know how you put on a bra backwards, hook it up and then swing it around? I had a cousin who once forgot to swing it around :)
  

• Once at work, I found a nylon knee-high stuck to the inside of my sweater. I also found a dryer sheet in my underwear – (yes once they were on!) but this was before I left home.

• When I invite people over at a specific time, I expect them to arrive at that time not an hour or two later. Also, when they invite me over at a specific time and I arrive on time, I expect them to have finished cleaning and showering before I arrive.

• Why is what I grew up with as Geography now called Social studies? What happened to the Brontosaurus and why isn’t Pluto a planet anymore?

• My father hated the new math (that I was taught), where I had to show every step of my work – he though I should get extra points for being able to do it in my head and still get the correct answer.
  

• I went to my community church once. They have called me 9 times to see how I liked it and if I am coming back. I am not going back.