The "Bored and can't do much Mani"


 Yes, I am bored and restless and most of the things I would choose to do (to keep me off e-bay)...I can't do 1-handed LOL...so for the next week at least- I am getting crazy with nail polish since I CAN do that...however, not really well. I will refrain from posting the ugly hand-you are very welcome! Done today...


Essie's Merino Cool (love this color), 2 coats, and scotch tape tips done in Sally Hansen's Black Out.





I put a coat of Pure Ice Busted over the tops...not sure I like it, but really...I can change it tomorrow! I have to tell myself this is good for me...resting and taking time off, that is lol



Brief break from crafts

I finally decided to have shoulder surgery after about 8 years of pain (yes, I am a problem patient). Surgery on April 21 and cleared to go without a sling on the 25th-WOW. Doesn't mean I can do much, but I am gaining more mobility and strength every day. Got my jeans on all by my lonesome yesterday! Not sure why I feared surgery, but it was a great experience-little to no pain meds needed after and the staff was amazing. Even the anesthetic wasn't as lingering as my previous experience. But my blog will be limited for a few weeks. Hmmm, May have to do some stamping while on house arrest....think I can do that one-handed

New manicure pics!

Just check out the new pictures on the Polish Addictions page :o)

Trying to slow down the jungle

Starting to get a little worried  that all of our green things will get too "leggy" before we have a chance to put them outside. Normally no one plants outside until after Mother's Day in this area...so still a rough month left to go. Only problem is...darn things just might get too far by then! So we have turned down the temp on the heater, to slow them down and toughen up the seedlings. Hope it works. Most current pics this weekend:

Watermelon seedling-looking healthy

Darn zucchini is trying to take over my fennel!

Peas are happy and already vining around everything...need to
search the house for cheap supports. Daughter was thinking wire coat
hangers... me, I was thinking tomato cages

Can't leave Nova out! She has her "Happy Dog" look on

Greenhouse update! Woo-Hoo!

So, even though I woke up to 3-4 inches of snow Sunday morning (and said some bad words, lol)...the things are doing very well in the greenhouse. Already had to transplant many into bigger pots to give them some room. Nuff said...here are the pictures from today!

Caliope enjoys her greenhouse! She is my
daughter's dog and a rescue pup.

Amazing...and smells so good!

Um...she has already been tasting the corn...looks
like now she might go for the garlic!

Purse Organizer experiment

So I got a wild hair and decided I was NOT paying $20 or more for a purse organizer that wouldn't fit in my smaller purses. Most of the ones I have looked at on e-bay are way too big to fit nicely in my purses. They are either too wide or too deep or both. And I admit, I am cheap if I have decided that I can make something myself out of my craft stash. So I picked out some fabric I thought would hold up well *note to self-really thick fabric was really unnecessary*
I pulled out my serger and my regular machine and set to work creating!

Basically, I eyeballed the most common purse width
I have and doubled it. Folded over my first piece of fabric and...

Serged the raw edges like nobody's business

Viola! That is the main piece that will form the pocket/organizer

I made 2 other versions of the same thing only shorter...
These will be the inside and outer pockets for cell phone and such.
Then I stitched them to the main section, up from the
bottom a bit so I don't have to stitch through such thick layers. I didn't
Stitch the edges yet, though...still thinking...

After I stitched all 3 layers together, I sort of winged it
to stitch lines up to make pockets for goodies. Some I left big,
some narrow for pens and lip gloss. I did stitch though all the layers
to make my pockets. In hindsight, I might do this part differently next time.



This was a fluke, but one just happened to be right smack in the middle,
Which I liked because it made it easier to fold and sew later...almost like a crease in paper.

 

This is what it looks like flat, after I decided which side was to
be the "outside" and which side would be inside the organizer.
I left the serged edges showing because after all. it's inside the purse!
But alsobecause that thick fabric was adding up
 and I was trying to minimize extra layers
wherever I could. I stitched the side and bottom up and
 turned it right side out.



This is what it looks like upright and empty. Too much fabric, I decided.
I could have gotten away with the thinner batik fabric I was thinking of using. All the pockets are double-thickness, folded over. Because I used my serger to finish all the edges, it is sturdy and won't fray. Also in hindsight, it does need to be wider, as once you fill those pockets, it "shrinks" lol. Give it a try with some scrap fabric, and if you don't have a serger, use bias seam tape to finish the edges instead!

Here's how it looks loaded before I swap over purses... see what I mean about space and shrinking?!



Funky purple fest

Tried something a little different for me on the fingernails...fun, though! I used a clay tool for the dotting lol...who says you have to have expensive tools?!

This was some serious shine going on. The color was definitely purple in the sun-LA colors and some sinful colors on the tips