Too Much Working, Not Enough Fun

Since I so proudly proclaimed that Prom Season was half over, I got my May schedule and wept.  I still have 4 weeks before I get a Saturday off.  And, I'm soooooo looking forward to it.  At least the 9 o'clock shift ends this next week.  Of course, I'm on that shift twice...but at least it's ending.

These are, apparently, the best cupcakes I've ever made.  It's a dark chocolate cake mix with chopped nutter butters mixed in, peanut butter frosting with a dollup of fudge frosting and a nutter butter on top.  I call them Escape From the Nut House.

Pinterest update:  I tried making my own chalk board paint.  Several times, with not a whole lot of success.  Rich made a little tray with green paint but the color wasn't even.  Then I bought a bigger tray and used black but too much grout powder and it turned out like gravel.  So, Rich finally forked out the big bucks and bought some at the store.  I know, I'm just as shocked as you.  The plan is to use this as a menu board.  I'm going to attach a big bow and a clothes pin so that I can write dinner instructions for when the kids have to finish dinner while I'm working.  It should be done just in time for it not to matter any more.

My sweet baby Sierra was having a rough go of things last week.  I won't go into details but it was one of those times that really made me wonder why the hell I thought I'd be okay as a parent.  So, what's a crazy, worried mom to do but start a quilt for her daughter.  I'd been saving Alice In Wonderland fabrics for the last couple of years to make this for her.  It's the original artwork, not the Disney version.  I think I was going to do a Take 5 and then changed it to Turning Twenty and then didn't quite have the right amount of fabric for either...  I should have taken a close up.  I've got Alice, the white rabbit, tea pots, clocks and card guys all over this thing.  There's enough to do an outer border but not enough to do an inner border.  I really think it needs something more so, hopefully I can find Alice fabric somewhere.  Sierra is doing much better, so I don't feel the rush to get it done anymore.  Gotta say though, super quick and easy pattern.  I cut and sewed the whole thing in one day.

Then the other day I got a package in the mail.  My friend Donna went to Paducah and saw a book and 3 kits for pin cushions from Primitive Gatherings and thought of me.  It's so awesome!  First of all, that I have friends that think of me when I'm not in their face, and second the kits and book are soooo cute!  Naturally, I couldn't wait to do something.

I'm using wool on cotton.  The instructions suggested that I use steam to apply the wool.  I put water in my iron for the first time, and wouldn't you know, it spit brown water all over my project!!!!  Grrr.  I might work on this some next week.  I've got a crazy idea to frame it when I'm done and I spot clean it.

While I was waiting for a trip to the fabric store, I started yet another project.  I made one a few years ago for Sweet Annies' and loved it.  So, I used up the kit I've been saving since then.  It's going to be a wedding gift.

You take a layer cake and sew a charm square in the middle.  Don't finish the edge or worry too much about placement, just sew it down.  Then, cut it in four pieces.  Mix them all up and sew them back together.  It's a raw edge applique.  And don't freak out because your squares don't match up.  You did that on purpose!

I finally got to the fabric store and bought creams for the setting triangles for the trees.  And, I started piecing it together.  This is about half the middle strip.  There will be applique branches up and down the sides and then another layer of trees on each side.  This may be difficult for me to part with when I'm done.  We shall see.

Prom Season Is Half Over

Prom season is killing me.  It's half over and this was the hardest week to get through for me.  Honestly, this week was terrible.  I'm thankful for my job, I like my job, and I like the people I work with.  But, 60 hrs a week is too much time to spend with people.  I don't think I could handle Rich that much and we've been happily married for 20 years.  UGH.

Any who, I have been trying to stay creative despite the long hours.  On Easter, I made a new purse.  I bought this kit at Sweet Annie's a few years ago.  I was so impressed with her purchase of such bright fabric.  Love it!  I also have a kaleidoscope quilt kit waiting for me with the same collection.  It's going to be fabulous.  Someday.

Then I decided to do this teacup that I've wanted to get to for awhile.  I wish I'd used a different background to show the white of the cup better.  And those flowers were SO difficult.  The pattern was supposed to be enlarged 200% and I only did 150% because I wanted it to be life size.  Teeny, tiny leaves and petals.  It sucked.  And, quite honestly, doesn't look that great.  I had Bethany write the words and then I stitched over it.  That part, I like.  It's my new cubicle art.

Then, today I got some time to finish my trees.  I like the way they turned out.  It took most the day to make 18.  Well, make the blocks and do my taxes.  I still haven't cleaned the bathroom or kitchen.  Or, finished the laundry.  But, I am almost caught up on Cupcake Wars.  That's also important.

No matter how hard I tried to make these blocks random looking, I did the old "well s**t" about 6 times.  For example, these two side corners turned out to be the same fabric on both sides of the tree.  They weren't supposed to be.  And, in a few blocks I managed to put some identical half square triangles together.  Dang it!

I may need to purchase some fabric before I go any further.  I don't have any long strips of fabric to use for the applique part of the quilt.  It may be mid-May before I get to that.  Something to look forward to, I suppose.  And, with that I will say ado, my friends. 

Remember, friends don't let friends try to reserve tuxedos at the last minute.  For God's sake people, plan ahead!