Highs and Lows...

The hardest things for me to do with my bad knees and shoulder are climb up high on a ladder, and kneel or sit on the floor, to do cleaning tasks.  This week I have had a wonderful gift!

Caitlyn is home from school for Spring Break.  She had been hoping to work for her previous employer while she is home to bulk up her savings that have been helping pay for school expenses.  During Christmas break she was able to work quite a bit for them, but when she called before Spring Break to see if she could pick up some shifts, she was told that they had everything covered.

I told her I could use her help, and would be happy to gift her school money when she heads back after her break.  She was willing, and far more able than I, to do some of the jobs that I had put on the list I made recently of things I wanted to accomplish at home over the next few months.  

Things like emptying bookshelves, dusting them top to bottom, and helping me downsize the contents before refilling the shelves.  These days my knees just don't hold out for long when the job at hand calls for multiple trips up and down a ladder, so jobs take me longer. 

On Saturday she started in the playroom which contained the few toys and many, many books I've kept since my kids were little and the grandkids came along.  I texted all the kids and grandkids to ask if there were any books they especially remembered and would like to have.  Kasey took some that were favorites and that she will save for her future grandchildren.  Caitlyn took a few as she was working.  Bobby came and packed a boxful to use in his work with special-needs children.  The rest of the books are now boxed up to donate.

Once Caitlyn had those first shelves spic and span, she moved to the guest room and did the same in a similar sized bookshelf in there.  I didn't have a huge amount of books in that one, as they have been culled before, but there were quite a few photos and decorative items, and the tops and high shelves hadn't been dusted for far too long.  That was true of all the open shelving units in our house.  

On Sunday afternoon she took the ladder and vacuum to the laundry room.  I had already dusted and reorganized the shelves over the washer and dryer, but forgot to clean the top of the cabinet.  Caitlyn had that done in no time.  Then she moved on to floor-to-ceiling shelves that house bins of dog food, Rudy's replacement toys (I order some of his favorites in multiples so as his current ones wear out they can be quickly and easily replaced), tools, batteries, and cleaning supplies, etc.  She also cleaned out Rudy's kennel and his feeding mat.

Monday she started on the dining room's built-in shelves, and then emptied and dusted my great-grandmother's china cabinet.  Between the dining room and kitchen we have a large antique kitchen cabinet (bottom photo) that had originally been built into the kitchen of the house I grew up in.  Caitlyn cleaned it top to bottom, inside and out.  And finally the open shelving (top photo) on both sides of the window in the kitchen was also thoroughly dusted and restocked.

 

This has ticked lots of boxes from my to-do list, and jobs that would have taken me weeks have been done in a long weekend thanks to young muscles, joints, and energy! Now Caitlyn is off to the beach for a few days.  She has promised to come back for one more day of cleaning before she heads back to school.  Now that the hard jobs of ladder climbing and floor-level deep cleaning are done, my job is to get as much done as I can in the next few days to ready more projects that she can help me with.

I'm a lucky grandma.  I miss them being little, but I'm reaping the rewards of them being grown!

What's happening at our house...

Chloe (right) sweet 16 with her 'big' sister Caitlyn (left)

...after two months away from blogging.

I've read nine books.

We went to visit my mother-in-law.  Took my sewing machine along and made her two new walker caddies while we were there.

Carey has completed painting the house exterior except for the hard-to-reach dormers which he is going to try to hire someone to do.

I worked at gathering up a decent-sized donation of craft/hobby supplies to donate to a creative thrift store.  (Think Goodwill but it's all craft supplies!) In the last batch of donatables, I had intended to give away all of my jewelry supplies.  I found I couldn't do it, and while I did give away a lot, I ended up keeping more than I felt good about.  I gave myself an ultimatum...if I haven't used it by the next donation appointment,  I will let it all go without looking back.  (At this particular store, they have limits on appointed days/hours that donations can be made, as well as the size of donations...4 banker boxes.  I set myself a reminder to book an appointment on the first day that they opened up their calendar, and I have made my next donation appointment for August 20.)  I am now working on my next collection of donation items.  

So far I have also made 3 necklaces to add to my work wardrobe.

I've made quite a few cards.

I have reorganized my crafting desk and card-making supplies using organizers I had on hand.

Summer is birthday season around here.  Caitlyn turned 17 in June, and is now a high school senior.  Bobby had a July birthday, as did Jared and Beau.   

And Chloe, our baby, our littlest grandgirl, turned 16.  Where have the years gone?  Yesterday she was the little firecracker of the family, and then I blinked my eyes and she's a 16-year-old high school junior!  Still a firecracker, though.  I happened across a perfect tee-shirt for her in my Amazon suggested products...I think Alexa has been listening in again.

Rudy had his annual vet appointment.

I had 3 Fridays off in July: one pre-planned and approved vacation day, one sick day when I was suffering with muscle spasms in my back and a little loopy from the muscle relaxers, and  Friday the 29th I took an emergency personal day when, at midnight Friday, Rudy encountered a skunk in our backyard and took a direct hit to the right side of his face, neck, and shoulder.  Thank goodness he came immediately when I called him, because I did not want there to be bloodshed; of course, that meant that the full force of the smell came in with him.  I bathed him immediately.  Then I bathed me.  Then I phoned the office and left a voicemail saying that I would not be in at 8 a.m.  When the boss got into the office, he very sweetly...or in self preservation...told me to just stay home.  LOL  And now here it is August 10th and the house is better, but still not completely free of the skunk odor.  I kind of feel like I'm in a Seinfeld episode...remember the one where his car, and every thing and person who is even momentarily in it, smells of the smell that won't go away?

My mother-in-law fell and broke her hip, and has been in rehab center, but tomorrow she gets to return to her assisted living facility.  Carey went up to help out right after her fall, so he missed the immediate chaos of the great skunk debacle!

We are so far surviving the heat (ugh!).  We need RAIN.  It is dangerously dry.

I am counting the days till our autumn vacation.  It is still SO far away.

Making it Moday...

A couple of cards today using up scrap papers.

No school today, and Kasey was tied up in the city.  I went over to see if the girls wanted to hang out for a little while.  I took them out for lunch, and then they came home with me to dash off some notes to their great-grandmother.  I didn't have any cards made up for them, so I had them write in blank card bases, then made the card fronts after I delivered them back home.

I would have had them make the cards, but it had to be a very short visit.  Beau had yard work chores for them to help with at home.  We were lucky I could rescue them for even a little while.  :)

Making it Monday...

A lot of card making going on around here lately, and tomorrow I'm going to have some serious clean up and supply put away to do!

The camp the girls attend gives the opportunity to the kids to send and receive mail.  My kind of camp!  Kasey was swamped lately, and when I mentioned letters from camp recently, she said she wasn't sure she would have time to get supplies together for the girls this year, so I told her I would love to do it.

I made two sets of eight cards.  The first contained four each of the two ice-cream designed cards above.  I used images found on the web and printed on card stock, then layered on colored card stock and used matching washi tape I had on hand, and I stamped 'sweet treats' under each focal image.  I put labels with their return address on the envelopes, and I made labels with likely recipients' names and addresses.  I figured the quicker the job was for them to do, the more letters might go out.  :)  I also included a gel pen of a matching color and postage stamps.  I actually had ice cream-themed postage stamps that went with this set.

The second set (I'm not sure which girl chose which set) contained one each of eight owl designs, along with labels, postage stamps, and a colored pen.  I used to LOVE new stationery when I was a kid.  I hope they like these...and USE them!  :)

You've seen this photo below in the last Frugal Friday File.  I thought I'd show you the progression to its completion.

This was the very start, and it went really quickly.  Only an hour or so and the stitching was done.

I graphed my own pattern for this.  I realize now that I got a lot of his coloring backwards, but still, everybody knows who it is...Rudy, of course!  LOL  I'm having fun playing with these tags.

Here's the finished card.  I made it to send to Chloe at camp.  She and Rudy are a lot alike...full of energy...attention seekers.  I wouldn't say she doesn't like him, but I would say that she gets along better with more laid-back dogs.  So I kind of torment her by sending her cards from him.  :)  

I'll make another tag card tonight to send to Caitlyn.

Last week, I mailed out four letters to grown ups on my list.

I haven't counted lately how many letters have gone out this year, but I think I'm doing really well on this year's 52 letters in 52 weeks challenge.

edited to add:  Tuesday morning I made another card each to mail to Caitlyn and Chloe.

This is the cross-stitch tag card I made for Caitlyn.  I couldn't find all of my floss, and so found myself with limited options.  There was almost no contrast between the two colors of pink I used for the owl.  I stitched the wings with a pink even paler than the body, and I was so unhappy with it that I figured I couldn't make it any worse, so I might as well try something unorthodox.  I used a raspberry-colored sharpie to carefully 'dye' the floss of the wings' Xs.  LOL  It worked beautifully, and really helped the look of the finished tag.  Now, please understand I would NEVER do this on a larger piece of cross-stitch, but the tag was so small, it wasn't a big investment to risk.

This was a quick one for Chloe with just paper and washi tape...yes, the 'Hello Gorgeous' and flowers is a strip of washi that fit perfectly across the card front.  Lucked out there, as I was rushing to get it in the mail.

Over the river and through the woods...

We had such a great day yesterday.  We had a trip scheduled to see Carey's mom.  I didn't know the kids had the day off from school.  Caitlyn asked if she could spend Sunday night with us.  I told her sure, but I would have to take her home really early Monday morning unless she wanted to go with us to see her great-grandmother.  She didn't want to spend the majority of the day in the car, so she begged off.  Her sister, however, quickly accepted even though I told her she would have to be up and ready to go at 7 a.m.  

So Caitlyn spent the night with us, and early Monday we took her home and picked up Chloe.  Kasey said Chloe was already up and ready when Kasey went in to wake her.  :)  Smart girl brought a pillow for the car and promptly used it once we got on the highway for the four-hour trip.

Upon arrival she was well rested and 'on' for her day with great grandmother and great uncle and aunt.

She wasn't expecting lunch out at Red Lobster, but was thrilled when she got to order crab legs.  Aunt Carla was sitting next to her.  She had also ordered crab legs, and they bonded as Aunt Carla taught Chloe exactly how to make the most of the rare treat.

Then we went back to Kevin and Carla's house, and Chloe had a ball playing with their adorable Yorkie who knows lots of tricks and isn't shy of performing.  Sadly my phone battery was too low to get photos of the two of them, but Chloe was in seventh heaven, and I wouldn't be surprised if she begins campaigning for a Yorkie of her own.  Aunt Carla also had lots of fun things to do, and poured attention Chloe's way...and she gifted her with a chair(!) which luckily just fit in the back of my car.  Those two became fast friends!  And there is no better way to endear oneself to me than to love my grandchildren.  :)

We got home about 9 p.m.  Just in time for bedtime on a school night.

Saturday snail mail...

The girls stayed over last night, and so I had them make and write cards for their great-grandmother this morning.

This one is Caitlyn's.  Just washi tape and a wooden 'love.'  And inside a sweet note.

Chloe's was super simple as well (they were hungry, so I thought fast was better than fancy).  They both are great letter writers.  I didn't find a misspelling or grammar error worthy of correcting (a few commas missing, but we let those slide today).  

Both of them are eager to start back to school.  Both will be in middle school this year.  Why do babies have to grow up so fast?

Braids and freckled faces...

I got called as a last-minute sub for volleyball...well...to drive the girls to volleyball practice, that is.  :)  Kasey had an obligation with one of the other kids, and Beau was working.  I know I've said it before, but I love living around the corner and getting to spend unexpected times like this with the kidlets.  

Since I knew they would have about 30 minutes at my house before we had to leave, I got plain, folded cards ready for them to write to their great-grandmother.  It has been a long while since we've gotten notes off to her.

When Kasey dropped the girls off, I hurriedly dragged them out back and took a couple of quick photos.  Then I herded them back into the house so they could start writing.  They both finished nice newsy little letters in record time.

After practice, I dropped them off at home, and then I came home and printed out the photos and attached them to the front of their respective cards.  Carey's mom loves getting their letters, and she loves photographs.

They will be in tomorrow's mail.   This is possibly the most productive thing I've accomplished all week.

Chloe's ten...

This one turned ten last week while I was gone.  Last year she gave me specific criteria for her present (a particular style and size of Beanie Boo), and I was still off a little.  She was very sweet about it, but this year, she asked for the same thing she had asked for last year, so I figured it must be pretty important to her.  So I suggested that we should go shopping for it together.

Last night she spent the night, and we hit the road this morning on the hunt.  It took six stores, but she came home happy.  

I tried to buy her the gray wool fedora while we were out.  She has a perfect face for hats.  I know this because I look ridiculous in hats...always have.

She reminded me that she already has a fedora (below).  

I countered that the one she has is a summer hat, and today's find is a winter hat.  She couldn't be swayed, which was a frugal decision.  

It made me look through the old photos I have of her in hats, and I ask your patience while I share some taken through the years.

Her 'newsie' look.

 

Her beret gives her a bit of the Hyacinth Bucket vibe.

Love the demi veil.

Hamming it up in a hand-knit.

A real Kentucky Derby fascinator from the other Kathleen.

And when it comes to sleeping caps, she has a style all her own.   *Ü*

Curlformer product review...

Caitlyn inherited her mother's hair, which like my hair is board straight!  She's always wanted two things (which I totally empathize with, because I wanted them too at her age), long hair and curls.  Her hair has grown quite long, and she let me trim the ends a few weeks ago.  

Last week Joolz put a video on her Facebook page, and I just knew I had to buy the product for Caitlyn for her birthday.  Curlformers!  I found these locally at Sally's Beauty Supply.  They were not cheap.  

Her birthday was Tuesday, and I had told her that I had her present, but she had to come spend the night to get it.  I wanted to play with it!  :)

You slide a mesh curlformer onto the long (about 12 inches) hook that comes in the set, and then pull the hair with the hook end through the mesh.  She said it only pulled enough to hurt one time.  There is a learning curve to this.  YouTube has some helpful videos.  As you put in the curlformers, you have to make sure that the twists don't get kinked like an old telephone cord...you want them spiraled uniformly.

We started with freshly-washed-and-towel-dried hair, and I sectioned it.  I think it would have been best to have some styling gel or mouse to work through before starting, but I didn't have any, so I had to use hairspray.  Starting with the lowest level, I subdivided off a single section, sprayed with some hair spray, pulled it through a Curlformer.  I probably put in about five Curlformers per level.  

I continued working in sections to the top.

Then she fell asleep.  You can use a hairdryer to dry it, but from what I gather, it works best if you keep them in overnight while you sleep.  They're soft, so they're not uncomfortable.

Then in the morning, you just pull out the curlformers, and use your fingers to ringlet the curls down.  I split the larger ringlets into smaller ones.  Then I had Caitlyn turn her head upside down and shake her hair out.  

We put in a bit of hairspray and clipped it back.

She was pretty happy with it.  After breakfast we went outside to take some photos to make a card to send to her great-grandmother.

All in all we had fun playing with them.

This last photo I took just now.  It has been several hours, and the curls are holding pretty well, even being crushed while she lies on the sofa watching tv.

I wish I'd had some of these when I was her age!

Take two...

Another weekend, another girlie.  Caitlyn's spending the night with us tonight.  Neither of us was really up for photos, but the weather is supposed to be turning rainy, and the bluebonnets are already past their prime, so it was now or never for the year.  We went to the same spot where I took Chloe's photo last weekend.  You can tell the growth of other wildflowers and grasses are overtaking the bluebonnets.  I like this rather pensive shot of Caitlyn with the delicate grasses at her feet.

We went out for dinner, and now she is playing driveway tennis with her uncle.  Not sure what the rest of the visit will entail.

The obligatory bluebonnet photo...

The bluebonnets have been out since before the middle of March.  I thought they would be gone by now, but I guess since our temperatures haven't been too hot, and we've gotten a little rain now and then, they still look pretty.

It is practically mandatory that you get a photo or two of them each year, especially if you have little ones to plonk out in the middle of them.  You routinely see families along the roadsides...some spontaneous, and others all decked out for a portrait sitting.  The other day I even saw someone unloading props from their trunk...a rusty old tricycle and a Radio Flyer...and their kids were running around in pink cowboy hats.  The hats, I thought, were a bit over the top.  :)

I haven't taken any bluebonnet photos in quite awhile, and I wasn't sure I could rope anyone into posing for me this year, but every time I drive past this fence I think what a perfect spot it would be...and easy since it's right down the street.  It was really nagging at me.  Chloe spent the night last night, and this morning I asked her if she wanted to stop and take a picture.  She was having the odd accommodating moment, and even let me do her hair in baby swings.  Such a happy child, except when she's not.  :)

I feel better now not having let the bluebonnets, or my day with the munchkin, slip away undocumented.

Saturday snail mail...

I made a couple of cards this weekend.  This one was for Caitlyn to send to her great grandmother for her birthday.  Normally, I have the girls make their own cards to send, but we were kind of in a time crunch, and 'writing a letter to ma' was something she specifically asked to do while she was here overnight. 

I wish I could share the letter she wrote inside.  Both of the girls write really lovely, long, newsy notes.  I am really, really happy to have been able to share with them how to write a nice letter to someone.  I had a good partner in that effort, because their great-grandmother is kind enough to answer each letter that she receives from them, which they greatly look forward to.  So they have learned how much the letters they write are appreciated, and they have learned how nice it is to receive one as well.

Recently I found this cursive workbook and purchased one for each of the girls.  In an effort to entice them, I told them that writing in cursive is something that few people would be able to do in the future, so those who could would have a special talent that not everyone would share.  My son reinforced the message  when he walked by later, and noticing Chloe working over her practice book, told her that he did not know how to write in cursive.  I had no idea!  Apparently he learned how in one year of school, but after passing the course it was never required in future grades, so he has never used it again. 

Both of the girls enjoyed spending time with the workbooks.  I hope that they can write their letters to their great-grandmother in cursive one day soon.  

The second card I made was also for my mother-in-law's birthday.  There's no photo of that one, however, as I was madly rushing this afternoon to get it made, written, and to the mailbox before pick-up time, so I forgot to take a photo of it.  I did get a letter written inside of it, though.  In cursive.  :)