Keep a Child Alive

Hey ya'll!  Today I got my hair done, and since it was the last time before Christmas, it was GiFt TiMe!  : )  My favorite time, heehee. (really!)  I have been thinking about it for a while, and I have a guy who does my hair, so that's impossible, but he has this precious wife-and an adorable little girl!  So, I thought of them (sorry, Taylor).  I made a towel for their kitchen:

Not so impressive, but it was something for the grown-ups.

The real fun was for their adorable little girl, Stella!  I just love to make things, and to have someone to sew for-ahh..perfect! : )  So, I worked on a plan.  I had gotten her a bath towel (pink, of course!), then I set out looking for fabric to match.  It was a medium pink, not too pale, and not too hot-pink.  I found a great toile (pale lime skinny stripes and pink trees & people) with some lime green in it, so I used lime green embroidery thread.  I picked the dot font and applique, and here it is (I'd already folded it, so I don't have a good one just of the embroidery-that darn bow is in the way!):

I used pink for the bow (again-sorry, Taylor!), then I stuck their little towel in the bow too!

It took an hour to sew it!  Remember it stitches the outline, then I place the fabric, then another outline, next I trim the fabric, and finally it does the pretty stitches.  Then really last, it stitches out the name-this is a great font with tight stitches, so it took about 25 minutes for the name.  These are not things I can whip out (actually I don't know how long it takes until I load the design in my machine!).  I was so happy with it!  (if I'd had a daughter named Stella I probably would have kept it!)  Here's a close up:

Scrumptious!  Now, my kids need one..don't yours?

My hair always takes most of the day-I think it's because I don't go in till 10, and he didn't rinse my color till after 12!  I was starting to worry that my hair would fall out, I have to say I got a little stressed.  He doesn't use a dryer, so it takes at least 40 minutes to process.  It's a little darker this time, but I always complain about my roots, so I think he's trying to blend it, but keep me light (impossible, I know).


Anyway, after that was errands, more prescriptions and some fabric/thread at Jo-Anne's (I'm really liking that place!).  I can't find the stabilizer I love, so I'll have to order it online.  I hate that I can't buy it locally, since I have to use it.  I always have to make sure to have some for back-up!  I'm actually making three cups to sell this week for teacher gifts!  Someone saw the SHS ones, and liked them.  I'll take pictures of them when they are finished.  I think I'm doing zebra, polka dots, and maybe something sophisticated...like leopard (heehee).  I'll show you.  It's a good thing I keep my camera by my desk and sewing machine.  I like to take pictures partly because I forget what I've done, and if I have a picture, I can remember!  Two Christmases ago, I did over 70 designs for cups/tumblers, and I've totally forgotten what fabric/thread I used.  Even my little jump drives (USB portable drives) stop working after a while, and I lose my designs.  I have 8 now, but only two work. : (  I'll have to figure out how to harvest my stuff...

In other reality news..there was a small incident on the bus today (just a naughty joke about a wiener), but we got mad, and I'm not letting them ride for a while.  I'll call the school tomorrow to complain about the dirty joke-teller, but both my kids heard (thank the Lord they didn't know what the boy was talking about), and they are too young for that junk.  I am always a little sad they don't want me to pick them up anyway.  I like the pick up line, and getting the kids, and I really like the 15-20 minutes of reading in the car!  I just won't do it if I'm home!

Our phone isn't working (and our internet is only half-working!), so we are having it serviced tomorrow.  They were kind enough to narrow our window of be-home time down to 8:00-3:00 (from 8am-7pm!).  Umm..I have a life!  I have to take Ethan to gymnastics, and then pick up the kids (heehee) minimum.  I guess I'll leave a note with my be-back time?  Crazy.  The phones are hilarious (if you don't need them): you pick them up, dial, and hear non-stop dial tone.  And if someone calls the house?  You hear them, but they can't hear you.  Hard to have a phone conversation with no sound. ; )


I really hope we get it cleared up!  For the first two years we lived here, we could hear our one of our neighbors' conversations, but they couldn't hear us screaming that we could hear them!  It finally got fixed (or they heard us?), so we don't know what's up at their house anymore. : )  I really like my phone-it's a connection to the world, but my cell phone is the one I can't give up!


Today is a big day.  First day of Hanukkah (light your first candle!), the 55th anniversary of the day Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white person (which sparked a boycott, and changed the rules! You go, Girl!), and World AIDS Day (text your favorite celebrity's name to 90999 to donate $10 to the Keep a Child Alive Campaign, see BuyLife.org or here for story)..we have to realize how blessed we are to live in a healthy country with sanitary water, food, and social rules against abuse.  We value life (most of us do), and contribute to the good of the world.  Oh, praise the Lord for the peace we've earned, and the peace we owe.  Please help us give life to others.  We have no future if we can't help others.

"Service is the best anti-depressant" : )