Going a little Cray?!

Not today! This is a scheduled post because I am out at the lake! Getting sun, relaxing on a boat! Anyways, I thought this would be a good time to put together a preliminary itinerary for our trip to MA! We are both so excited that we can't stand it! First time for both of us to visit the northeast and it's in my favorite time of year! FALL! Leaves and cool weather and history..........come quicker! So based on preliminary internet searches this is the itinerary:

Day 0-1: Flight Leaves LAX at 11PM. We chose a red eye because going from West to East coast you lose an entire day so we thought what the hell, were still young o.O

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So we land in Detroit at 6AM LT for a 2 hour layover and then make our way into Manchester/Boston Airport at 10:30AM LT. My uncle is going to pick us up at the airport and drive our, most likely, cranky and tired butts to my cousin's where we will take a nap. Not so young anymore! My stepmom will arrive around 4, rent a car and meet us at my cousins. Next on the list.....the whole gang (and I mean GANG!) is going to Stripers restaurant to enjoy the local cuisine of New England....Clams, clams, lobster, did I mention clams? I am a little weary of it, but will try some fried clams....maybe not the chowder. (Chowda!) We will eat, drink, and be merry....then go and pass out.

Day 2-4: The actual day we will do these items is still up in the air, but here's the plan:

A Visit to Salem: This is something I am excited about. I hope we see all the haunting things and the town dressed for Halloween. (were going in Oct) I searched the net for things to do and came up with a list. My cousin B, her bf, my uncle and his gf are coming along and B made the day trip itinerary, which was pretty much the exact things I was planning to do anyways, hell we are family even if it has been 25+ years since we have seen each other!

• Witch Museum
• Witch Trials Memorial and the Old Burying Point Cemetary
• Salem Beer Works (Lunch and Relaxation)
• The Witch House
• The House of the Seven Gables

Yea a lot of houses and witch stuff. What do you want? It's Salem! Along the way we will see Pickering Wharf and probably some cute shops....maybe lighthouses?!

Tour of Haverhill: This is the city where my dad grew up, so it's pretty much required to see the sights....the schools he went to, the firehouse where my grandfather and uncle work (D will probably want to go down the firepole!) and of course The Wall.

Leaf Peeping: You can't go to New England in the fall and not try and see as much of the changing scenery as possible. So depending on where the changing colors lie we might drive into Maine or New Hampshire to get a good look. My dad's dear friend Dead Eye has a home in Maine so we could stay over night and drive back into town. I found this site for time chart of fall colors.

Day 5-6: Boston. This one is still a little up in the air because there is SO MUCH to do and see in Boston. We are dedicating 2 days there. We will most likely do the Freedom Trail, which showcases the hot spots in Historic Boston.

Freedom Trail:

• Boston Common
• Massachusetts State House
• Park Street Church
• Granary Burying Ground
• King’s Chapel
• King’s Chapel Burying Ground
• Benjamin Franklin Statue & Boston Latin School
• Old Corner Book Store
• Old South Meeting House
• Old State House
• Site of Boston Massacre
• Faneuil Hall
• Paul Revere House
• Old North Church
• Copp’s Hill Burying Ground
• Bunker Hill Monument
• USS Constitution 

There is also Boston Harbor, Boston Lighthouse, The Cheers Bar (I have been told by several people to visit, but honestly I have only seen the show a handful of times so I don't think I will catch any references) Maybe a trip to a museum or to the Cranberry Harvest Festival, I love cranberries.....this interests me. We might go to Plymouth....I dunno. I guess this is a we'll see when we get their deal!

After a full 2 days, we will probably have another dinner with family and prepare our goodbyes.

Day 7: Leave bright and early at 7AM to return to reality! Sadness!

Somewhere in there, we will probably go to a clambake....maybe to Cape Cod, and tooling around the various cities throughout the state. Seeing this all down in writing makes me even more excited to go! October HURRY!

I'll leave you with this, from the movie Ted

Lake Trip!

Just an update for you all. D and I will be heading out with our good friend Mr. P to the lake for the Labor Day holiday. Things will be dark around here for a few days because I will have no internet service! We will be lounging in the water, water-sporting, playing games and just having an all around good time! Be jealous! Hehe....just kidding. We will also be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary as well! So that's exciting news!

If you need a little D&D Kimball Road while I am gone why don't you check out my new tabs up on top. ^^^ I have made a new bucket list tab (titled "Lifetime of Memories") that will accumulate all the past years checks including their blog posts. It's just an easy way to find everything! I will still have a separate list for each year that way everything just keeps moving on up and easier to find. I have also included a new tab. The Soundtrack to my Life (STML) tab is an area where I keep a list of all the songs that have had great meaning in my world. Songs that bring back a specific memory or that have great significance in my life. A way to keep track of all these great pieces of artistry!

That's what's new over at 2DKR!

"Feels Like Home"

In honor of our 5th wedding anniversary that is this Saturday, I am reminding my followers of the wonderful song that we danced our first dance too. It still brings tears to my eyes! Thinking about our beautiful day, and marrying my best friend!

"Feels Like Home" - Chantal Kreviazuk 

Somethin' in your eyes, makes me wanna lose myself 

Makes me wanna lose myself, in your arms 

There's somethin' in your voice, makes my heart beat fast 

Hope this feeling lasts, the rest of my life 

If you knew how lonely my life has been 

And how long I've been so alone 

And if you knew how I wanted someone to come along 

And change my life the way you've done 

It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me 

It feels like I'm all the way back where I come from 

It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me 

It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong 

A window breaks, down a long, dark street 

And a siren wails in the night 

But I'm alright, 'cause I have you here with me 

And I can almost see, through the dark there is light 

 Well, if you knew how much this moment means to me 

And how long I've waited for your touch 

And if you knew how happy you are making me 

I never thought that I'd love anyone so much 

It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me 

It feels like I'm all the way the back where I come from 

It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me 

It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong 

It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong

Baggo Toss Bags

Because our friend Mr. P's family was so kind enough to let us crash at their home last Labor Day, and is putting us up again this year I wanted to make them a little something special as a thank you for their hospitality. They have a baggo set and we played that thing every night! Let's just say that R and I were reigning champs and I fully intend to keep up that title! So when Mr. P came back from Memorial Day saying that the bags broke, I decided that I would make them a new Patriotic set to have on hand as a spare.

What you need:
(8) 6.5"x6.5" Squares in a blue fabric
(8) 6.5"x6.5" Squares in a red fabric
5lb bag of rice
Pins
Thread
Sewing Machine

1. Take (2) of your 6.5" square pieces, placing them right sides in, and sew up 3 seams 1/4" from the edge. Continue with all remaining fabric until you have (4) pockets of each color.

2. Clip the corners on to make turning easier, press and turn your pockets right side out.

3. Fill bags with rice. I used about a 1-1/2 cups for each bag. There needs to be some room in the bags so don't over fill.

4. Turn down your open end 1/4" and pin closed.

5. This step is really a preference thing. I was going to hand sew the opening closed, but completely ran out of time and patience to do it, so I machine sewed the edge down 1/4" from the edge. BE CAUTIOUS when you do this. Make sure there is no rice near the needle or else your needle could break if it catches one. Once the open edge is sewed down, take a 1/4" top-stitch around the rest of the bag for an even look.

Simple, easy and a great thank you gift!

600 Miles

So most of the time when you go to weddings, they are local. I mean within a 30-60 mile radius from your own home. When we got the invitation for D's cousins wedding neither one of us realized that it would be a 600+ mile round trip up into northern California. Not that we minded....we both like to drive, look at the scenery and talk (sometimes sleep) on the way. We rose out of bed at 6am, took the pup to my in-laws and then hit the road. We passed all the pretty crops and not so pretty smelling cows as we made our journey up the 5 freeway. I caught up on some reading as well, and of course read quotes from the book to D as he drove. Something I tried to do to break up the country music that we had on in the background....which was appropriate considering we were driving through the most vast and empty part of the middle of our state. Mostly just farmland and animals for miles.

When we arrived at our destination we were starving. We met up with the family; parents, siblings, grandparents, other relatives; checked into the room, and then the clan (13 people) walked over to a restaurant to have a quick lunch. After lunch, we were short on supplies so I went with D's mom to hunt and gather. Although trying to find a drugstore in a new town is a little challenging. We passed Sunset Blvd and Bel Air in our travels we were gone that long! We had no idea that we could drive that far and be right back where we started! Once back at the hotel we parted ways.

As we arrived at the Country Club all gussied up in our finest...D and I took in the scenery. The ceremony over looked the green of the golf course as did the reception area. It brought us back to our own wedding day....wanting to do it again! The bridesmaids were very elegant in their black gowns, the flower girls tossing their rose petals were adorable, and the poor terrified ring bearer, who had to be carried down the aisle by his daddy, all prepared for the entrance of the bride. Dressed in a white gown with a black sash, escorted by her father who had tears in his eyes. She looked beautiful and happy. She walked to Feels Like Home, which is D and my song, so as she made her way down the aisle I whispered the lyrics to him and he squeezed my hand tight. After a quick ceremony and of course I Do....we were headed up to the cocktail hour. Wine, beer and appetizers....a black, white and yellow candy bar and we got our table assignments, complete with the kissing bell. A kissing bell is similar to the clinking of the glasses. You ring the bell to get the couple to kiss. D and I danced, went in the photobooth for silly photos and all around enjoyed ourselves with the fam bam. At 11 we all made our way back to the hotel where D and I enjoyed one last dance for the evening. After we crashed so we could peel ourselves out of bed to tour the state capitol. But that's another post.

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Bozick on their marriage. May their lives be blessed with love, laughter and a happily ever after!

Below are some photos.....iPhone and some from my M.I.L. We didn't bring the nice camera in and I am kicking myself! At least we were able to capture some moments!

Dad and Daughter!

Mr. Mrs. Bozick!

The bride and her Momma

Details

Centerpieces

Awe!

Happy Couple!

Photobooth Silliness

Sacramento Preview

"Trojans"

A little pop rock for today!

"Trojans" - Atlas Genius

Take it off
Take it in
Take off all the thoughts of what we've been
Take a look
Hesitate
Take a picture you could never recreate

Write a song
Make a note
For the lump that sits inside your throat
Change the locks, change the scene
Change it all but can't change what we've been

Your trojan's in my head x3

It's ok if it's gone
The thoughts that you had that it was the one
And oh what is left?
For all those times is that what you get?
Oh regardless
The walls get painted anyway
Oh you're guarding
The gates, but it all got away

Your trojan's in my head x6

Take it off
Take it in
Take off all the thoughts of what we've been
Take a look
Hesitate
Take a picture you could never recreate
Write a song
Make a note
For the lump that sits inside your throat
Change the locks, change the scene
Change it all but can't change what we've been

Your trojan's in my head x5

Take it off
Take it in
Off all the thoughts of what we've been
Take off all the thoughts of what we've been

A typical night

A typical night in our home consists of dinner making with the hubby, cleaning a bit, and either watching T.V. together, or getting in a bit of exercise. Afterwards we lounge with our pup and relax before pouring ourselves into bed to start the cycle over.  This particular evening, while I was on the floor doing my workout, I glance over at the couch and see D and Miss ShelbyDoo snuggling up. You can see how much that pup loves her daddy! It was so precious I couldn't help but snap a quick phone photo!

Plastic Bag Obsession?!?

I may or may not have a plastic bag hoarding problem.
I have acknowledged this and am seeking help!

So, for those of you who don't know, I live in Los Angeles county. Last year, this lovely county passed a law banning all stores, grocery and the like, from providing their customers with plastic bags. You are not either required to bring your own bags, purchase paper bags for 10 cents a piece, purchase re-useable bags for $1 a piece, or carry all your items bagless. The good thing, when I get into the city where I live, they still provide plastic bags, which I use for bathroom trash cans, picking up dog waste and various other tasks. D works in LA county in a supermarket that doesn't provide bags and the city I work in has now passed the same law. So, we both no longer can get plastic bags, unless we shop at Target or other mass retailer inside the city we live. Usually not a problem unless we are meal planning at work. So what did I do? Started hoarding those stupid bags. It got to the point where there were so many that I couldn't get under my kitchen sink! So a couple of weeks back while searching my favorite time suck, Pinterest, I came across an idea on folding the bags in the shape of origami footballs. (you know, those things you would make when class got boring) It was a genius idea and I spent 2 hours (yes I know I am crazy) and folded each of those bad boys and threw them in a basket under my sink, so that we have a ton of saved space. Now they are so neat and tidy I can throw a couple in my purse for when I know I am going to shop in an area with no plastic bags! Yay! To see a tutorial on how to do this click here.

So much space saved!

Please send my husband flowers or support for my craziness! I am sure he will appreciate it! Although, it does come in handy when we have an organizational nightmare!

To the one I love

I just wanted to take some time today to express how much I truly love the man in my life. My husband is the best guy I could have ever asked for. He truly loves me, the good and the bad (hopefully more good) as much as anyone could ask for. He puts up with my crazy crafting ideas, my o.c.d. and my sometimes silly nature. The moods (which lets face it, I'm a woman) and mood swings. No matter how bad my day went, or if I feel tired, worn out and grouchy...he tries to put me in a better mood and usually succeeds with his silly faces and voices. As we approach our 5 year wedding anniversary I can't help but get nostalgic and think about all the memories we have encountered in our past, and the many memories that have yet to come our way. I look forward to every new chapter in our lives, and give thanks everyday that you came into my life. As you know, I find expression more through songs than in any other art form. I dedicate a new song to my love and I hope he knows whenever I hear it, my thoughts go directly to him!

I love you Babie!

You know I'd fall apart without you
I don't know how you do what you do
'Cause everything that don't make sense about me
Makes sense when I'm with you
Like everything that's green, girl I need you
But it's more than one and one makes two
Put aside the math and the logic of it
You gotta know you're wanted too

'Cause I wanna wrap you up
Wanna kiss your lips
I wanna make you feel wanted
And I wanna call you mine
Wanna hold your hand forever
Never let you forget it
Yeah, I wanna make you feel wanted

Anyone can tell you you're pretty
(Yeah)
You get that all the time, I know you do
But your beauty's deeper than the makeup
And I wanna show you what I see tonight

When I wrap you up
When I kiss your lips
I wanna make you feel wanted
And I wanna call you mine
Wanna hold your hand forever
Never let you forget it
'Cause baby I wanna make you feel wanted

As good as you make me feel
I wanna make you feel better
Better than your fairy tales
Better than your best dreams
You're more than everything I need
You're all I ever wanted
All I ever wanted

And I just wanna wrap you up
Wanna kiss your lips
I wanna make you feel wanted
And I wanna call you mine
Wanna hold your hand forever
Never let you forget it
Yeah, I wanna make you feel wanted
Yeah, baby I wanna make you feel -
Wanted
'Cause you'll always be wanted 

Comic Book Style

Last year, I was in need of some Christmas gift ideas for a friend of D's, Mr. P. We had all gone up to his favorite lake spot for Labor Day with his family (looking forward to this year!) and had taken hundreds of photos of water sports, scenery and sunsets. I decided that for his present that I would blow up one of the lake shots and then make a smaller poster size photograph for him to hang in his garage with the rest of his recreational gear. The lake shot was just a standard color fix and blow up, but for the poster I wanted it to look unique. Like it came from a magazine. So I took one of the best shots and went to work in Photoshop manipulating the image until I got the look I was going for. Of course I added in a little inside joke to it as well. We exchanged our gifts and when he opened the poster and I told him it was for the garage, he exclaimed "Oh no! This is going in my loft!" Shortly after Christmas Mr. P asked me if I could create another image like that one, so he would have a pair to hang in his home. We went through the shots and he selected one of himself carrying his wakeboard. I went through Google until I found an appropriate Comic Book style tutorial and away I went. 30 minutes later we had another great looking stylized piece of art.

He proceeded to buy frames and hang them along with the enlargement of the lake in his loft as a ode to his favorite spot on the planet. After a recent trip up to the same lake, he got a great group shot with him and his cousins. He then asked me if he could trouble me to do another poster to hang up for his housewarming party. I was a little apprehensive of how the photo would turn out, since it was taken at night, but with a little splash of brightness and some other minimal photo editing, I found I had a good base to put on the comic book style. I sent it to be printed and then the hubbs and I helped him hang it in it's rightful place in the LDP room.

Of course while doing all this fun stuff with photos I had to do one of the hubby and me too! So I took an old photo of us from a friends wedding and edited away! I love doing this stuff! Especially when I can see how the person responds to my creations and truly appreciates it!

DD!

What do you like to do with your photos?

"From mom's to mine" - Entryway Re-style

Being that my profession is an Interior Designer, I often get asked for tips or advice on color selections, fabrics, or even furniture. Sometimes I am asked to go shopping with various friends or just to help them re-examine their spaces to make them more functional. Last year I helped a dear friend repaint the exterior of his house, from a salmon pink to a nice blend of greens and tans. (Although he has yet to replace the salmon pink garage door! Get on that!) Sometimes its help hanging art, or putting together a piece of furniture. I am always around to give tips and tricks to help make a your space the way you want it to look.

Case in point; last weekend. I have a dear friend who needed help with their entryway. Her and her husband bought her childhood home from her parents and her brain was stuck with what to do with her entryway. Her mom had it one way, and she couldn't get around the way it always was. They went and bought some really lovely pieces to go along with functional storage to try and make it an easy place to put mail, coats, shoes, etc. without looking dumped and disheveled. She kept throwing me ideas and we just stared at the wall for about 20 minutes. My brain trying to figure out the best way to incorporate all her needs in one little space and still have it be inviting.

We had discussions of old items, and some plants. Whether to use them or not. Her husband did not want to use them and in fact they no longer went with the style they were looking to create. A modern-traditional blend. Blended styles are very common because it gives a homey lived in look, but can still be dressed up to look formal. So here are some tips that I gave her while we plowed through her stuff to figure out how to create her perfect space.

1. If you don't love it, don't keep it. If you as a couple aren't in love with a particular piece, send it away to somebody that will love it. Keeping things because you feel like you should creates clutter, and clutter always turns into chaos. You want your home to be in order and a place of solace and relaxation....not chaos.

2. When choosing items, everything doesn't have to "match" or be completely symmetrical. To create the blended look you need a mix of contemporary/modern items mixed in with your traditional look. Wood colors need to blend, but don't necessarily need to match.

3. When hanging items on the wall sometimes its easier to figure out the look by laying your arrangement out on the floor to get an idea of what it will look like finished. It might not exactly go up on the wall the way you lie it out, but at least you'll have somewhat of a plan, which leads to less work for the husband putting the holes in the wall, and less holes in the wall.

4. Play with scale and arrangements. you don't always have to have the same piece in a line. look for other patterns that create interest. Lean artwork on shelves and play with heights and textures.

5. If you have empty frames, hang them anyways. That way you'll have the complete look done and a gentle reminder to print photos for the frame!

6. Have fun! Choose things that you love and if you mess up it's ok. Design and art is always about taking chances and doing things a little different! If you get stuck, start with a clean slate. Pull everything off the walls and just start again. You can always put it back!

Without further ado.....the finished look:

Not completely finished, but she was very happy with the results. She has a functional and nice looking entryway. Sometimes all you need is another set of eyes. Great style lady! 

"Cowboys and Angels"

Ok, So I kind of fizzled out on my music posts. I don't know why. They are easy peasy posts. So, We are changing that. So....here we go with my weekly favorite song! This is one of my new favs! Makes me swoon every time I hear it! Enjoy!

"Cowboys and Angels" - Dustin Lynch

There's a want and there's a need
There's a history between
Girls like her and guys like me
Cowboys and angels
I've got boots and she's got wings
I'm hell on wheels and she's heavenly
I'd die for her and she lives for me
Cowboys and angels
 

We ride side by side
A cloud of dust, a ray of light
My touch is her temptation
Her kiss is my salvation
She's sweet, I'm wild, we're dangerous
Cowboys and angels

I'm not sure why her path crossed mine
Accident or grand design
Maybe God just kinda likes
Cowboys and angels

We ride side by side
A cloud of dust, a ray of light
My touch is her temptation
Her kiss is my salvation
She's sweet, I'm wild, we're dangerous
Cowboys and angels

There's a want and there's a need
There's a history between
Girls like you and guys like me
Cowboys and angels

Travelville....Kimball Style

Ok, in trying to figure out what we are going to do and see in Boston, I decided to look up just exactly where we are going for this wedding we are attending on the 25th. It's in Roseville, CA (reminds me of Pretty Little Liars, yes I know that's Rosewood Pennsylvania, it's just similar) and being the planner that I am I needed to know just how long it would take to get there so I Googled it. 6 hours!!!!!! SIX! One, two, threefourfive, SIX! Ugh. We were planning on going up Saturday morning before the wedding and turning around on Sunday to come home. Sigh. This is still the plan but that's a long freaking drive! On the 30th we are heading up to the lake with our friend so I also looked at where that is located. It seems that within a week span we will be driving upwards of 1,000 miles!

I decided we were going to make the best of these drives, and since coming home from the wedding we are driving straight through the state capital, Sacramento, that we should stop and have a touristy moment. So I went to the Sacramento City website to see what things we could do there. Of course their is the Capitol Building and museum. The California State Railroad Museum. Which would be really cool, but it costs so we will discuss. The Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum, which is free and looks interesting. The one that tops the list though (Sarcasm) is the Wells Fargo History Museum. I suggested that to the hubbs, via text message so he didn't hear my sarcasm, and he said that it would be interesting. Um.....HELL NO!! (I will probably eat these words, cause knowing my curiosity we will stop their anyways) Anywho, we will decide where to stop and get a snack! But I think it's important that since we have the Bucket List, and we are going to be right there, that we should make a point to stop, smell the roses, and enjoy a little lunch in the Capitol of the state where we reside. Oh and of course take PHOTOS! Stay tuned!

My mouth literally fell to the floor!

So you have read my battle with my hair (here and here). Last year I chopped over 10 inches off. Enough to donate to Locks of Love. I had a very edgy A-Line cut that I got sooooooo many compliments on! Everyone, including myself loved it, with the major exception being the hubby. He despised it! Mostly because he loved my long locks. So in an effort to appease him I promised to grow it back out. In doing so, I hadn't gotten a haircut in almost 10 months! (except for a bang trim) The front was grown out and the a-line just looked strange! It was driving me banana's! A couple of weekends ago I was helping with my grandmother's garage sale when I overheard my cousin say she was getting her hair colored. I thought "hmmm I should call my girl and get an appointment." I must have 'thought' that out loud because my cousin said that she would call her gal and see if she could squeeze me in while her color set. 2 hours later we were jamming to music (in no A.C.) on our way out to the valley to get a trim. It was a great excuse for her and I (my sister from another mister) to catch up and talk about what's going on in each others lives. Upon arrival I had an image of Jennifer Aniston (one I am sure the stylist has seen thousands of times before) downloaded on my phone. She went away clipping and I walked out with a new do! I loved it, but the question was.....would D?

I went home and he didn't really jump up and down, just said "I'm glad it's not short." I think he was getting used to it. So I thought he didn't really like it, but it didn't bother him. This past weekend we met up to go out for his brother's birthday. Afterwards we went to help a friend with some house stuff and he complimented my hair (which that day I thought looked so disheveled from measuring in the heat.) When we got home, D looked at me and said "I thought you looked really pretty tonight, and your new hair is my new favorite style. I like it more than it being really long."

Say what?!?! You mean I don't have to grow it out to model long ever again! Praise the lord in heaven! With this shocking turn of events I just smiled and said thank you, but inside I was screaming for joy! Although the hairstyle is nice, I'm thinking about letting it get a little longer, I miss curling my hair! Ahhhhh.....and the saga continues!

Puss in the Corner Wedding Quilt

As is tradition for weddings of people near and dear to our hearts my mom and I decided to make her dearest friends daughter a quilt for her wedding that was this past weekend on 8-11-12. This quilt was not difficult, but it was ambitious. We used the Puss in the Corner pattern, but a queen size quilt required 99 blocks, plus borders! Needless to say it was a divide and conquer project. We picked out our fabrics, mom cut everything and shipped me off with half of the blocks to assemble. 50 in total....I got to do 1 more because she was doing the borders, quilting and binding. (I think I got the easy end of this project ;-P) I sat at my sewing machine for 8 hours sewing those blocks. A girlfriend came over and we chatted while I put that little machine to work! Once they were all done I shipped them back with my mom and she quilted and assembled the quilt. I turned out so beautiful! The fabrics were spot on perfect and I wanted it for my bed!

Yesterday, before heading back out to the ranch, my mom stopped by the house to pick up some stuff. The bride and groom were there and she asked them to open the gift from us. She told me that they loved it! So each and every time I am proud of our hard work and effort that we put into the quilts! It's so worth it!

Finished Quilt!

All my blocks

Mom quilting away

We're both looking forward to the next project! I have some little things in the pipe-line to finish and post! It requires hand sewing.....boo. That's the one thing I hate. I like machine sewing! Stay tuned!

They Say Its a Heatwave

Ok, so I'm sitting here in the humidity and heat waiting for a day-porter to come and unlock a suite I'm supposed to measure. So I thought that I could be a little productive and blog.

We as Southern Californian's are SPOILED! We have the mildest weather across the board, but we always forget it when we actually have weather! A little rain, humidity, or the unthinkable SNOW and we are crying and whining. I am not saying that I am not guilty of it, because I am. I hate being hot and I hate being cold. I like to be a consistent temperature all the time! Now I live in one of the numerous valleys that we have in Los Angeles. Not only are they hotter than the coastal and O.C. areas, but I live in the closest valley to the desert. Humidity smashed with desert heat = misery to me! I am just waiting for the cool down to come and fall to begin!

What also comes with fall?! The holidays are right after. But what's special THIS fall is we are booked for the beginning of October to visit family in Boston! Yay! We are both so excited we can't stand it. We'll get to see the leaves change, and visit new states and hopefully try new things for our bucket list too! If you have any suggestions on things to do in New England, please shoot them my way. The only things that are guaranteed right now are fried clams and Salem. Help! We need ideas!!!!

Happy Friday!

Lone Star Tee Refashion

So the hubbs kept asking me to find him muscle shirts. Things he can wear out to the gym or when were out being active, such as a lake trip. Well looking on the internet and in the stores I realized that these shirts were the same cost as a regular tee....and my husband has a TON of tees! (As most men do!)

I had already started making him cutoff tees by removing the sleeves of a couple of shirts. Here's the thing, you get a ragged rolled edge of cotton that hits right at the end of the shoulder so the person looks hunched over. (IMO!) Even when you cut the sleeves off, instead of seam ripping them like I did, it still looks unfinished and ratty....which is ok for the gym, but everywhere else....big NO NO! So I took it upon myself to figure out a solution. The hubs had a couple of store bought muscle shirts already. I looked at them to see what about them looked better. *The indents of the sleeves were in more and the arm holes were slightly bigger then a standard tee. Also, the edges were hemmed for that nice finished look. Done! I figured that I could do exactly the same thing and for much less with what we already had! I did make a trip to a local thrift store and found the gem pictured above and a couple of others for only $4! I also took 4 of the hubbs existing shirts that I already had removed the arms and fixed them up. Here's what you need:

T-Shirt (Old, new, thrift store....whatever!)
Seam ripper (optional)
Scissors
Pins
Sewing Machine
Template (I used an existing muscle tee that fit him well)

1. Ok the first thing I did was seam rip the sleeves off. This is an extra step that I did, and you could just start at #2. I wanted to see how large the armholes were and where they hit on my hubby's body.

Sleeves Seam Ripped

2. I took an existing shirt that fit my hubby well and used it as a template to cut the arm holes on each side of the shirt.

Template to cut

Cut holes

3. I turned the shirt inside out and folded over a hem about 1/2 inch down all around
the arm hole and pinned as I went.

Pinning away

4. Sew a 1/4" seam from the edge of the shirt. (I have a nice new(er) machine that has a stop on the edge of my foot that shows me exactly where 1/4" is! Error proof!)

1/4" seam

5. Since I don't have a surging option on my machine I just sewed another seam 1/4" on the inside of the first seam to keep the hem down and from rolling! I tried to hide my back-stitching on the top seam or on the back.....since I have limited thread colors some show up more than others! :-S

Double 1/4" seam

6. Turn the shirt right side out and admire your work, make your hubby do a fashion show and pat yourself on the back for a thrifty re-do!

Fin!

Here's the finished products. I did the 3 "new" i.e. thrift store shirts and the 4 that I previously started (I found another white one going through his drawer!) The man now has enough muscle shirts to wear one every day of the week. Looks like he's gonna be nice and cool on our lake trip! My fav's are the Transformers one and the Irish Pub.....it's so SOFT! I might steal it for a sleep shirt!