AMANDA'S BASKETS: Day Thirty-Four and Packing...

Monday, October 25, 2010

Day Thirty-Four and Packing...

It's done...I mean...IT'S DONE! And even better, it's up!!! It took me six hours to hang the backdrop for this musical, but it is up...and I don't have to strike it until Saturday night. Of course, it has to be put up again on Sunday...

I didn't take pictures today because...well, I was just plain tired, but I have to go back and re-pin it if everything works out well. I will take pictures then. For the first pinning, I usually pin from the front and then if it looks okay and works well, I go back and pin from behind so no quilting pins are visible.

Not only that, but I have begun to dismantle my office/studio beyond the books and magazines. I have been trying to figure out how to pack things and how much to take. We will be moving for a minimum of a year and a half and up to two years. It wouldn't really be cost effective to purchase all new stuff. So I have decided to use six plastic containers, each about 10" by 13" by 4", with a secure fastener.

So this is what I am taking for my stamping supplies. I have been using the clear stamps that adhere to a plastic holder. That really does cut down on space. I'm also taking only my small stamp pads. Here are some pictures as I filled up the box.

The small containers at the bottom are my embossing powders. The small plastic container on the top right contain my small ink pads..

I keep my small stamps in another plastic box (middle picture). The larger sheets of stamps fit on top, and some individual small stamps are in a checkbook box that I decorated. I changed things around to make things fit, but I still have lots more room to add things. I was really surprised at how much I was able to fit in...

Well, my team gave a gallant effort, but they didn't win. Of course, one touchdown the other team had should not have counted and one that my team made should have. It just seems like the Vikings can't catch a break...but it was a great game.

How are the fall colors holding up where you are? I can't believe that there are still spectacular vistas here. We have had lots of rain and wind, but still there are plenty of leaves on the trees. And even today with gray, cloudy, misty weather, the views are beautiful. I know I will miss this next fall, so it is a pure treat to have the color hang around for so long.

Hope your weekend was relaxing and lots of fun. Thanks for stopping by...

CRAFTING IDEAS

I am always looking for a small piece of paper to write down something which will later be disposed of. I decided to use some of the scrap paper of which I have a ton. I mostly use the paper for glueing projects. I decided to cut the paper into a small size. (Six pieces from a piece of copy paper.). But just having them sitting on my desk would get messy without a container. So, using a cardboard box, I cut it down to size and using a hot glue gun I glued the ends together. Using a picture from a magazine cut into pieces and stick craft glue, I glued the pieces to the box inside and out. I also used some decorative tape for the outside edges. And to finish the top corners which were not covered, I used straight pins with colorful tops. Looks nice and works well.

MAGAZINE IDEAS

(New) One article in the Farmer's Almanac 2024 is a list of trends. One I knew about is the trend to downsize in just about every area. Another trend that I was surprised about was called ''The Human Library' which offers people on loan to talk about specific subjects. Finally, more folks are adding pets to their family and as a result, stores are adding more pet food, toys and medication to their offerings. There's also a nice garden article which suggests mixing vegetables and flowers together for success.

RECIPE IDEAS

Have you every made Cherry Dump Cake. It calls for 2 cans of Cherry Pie Filling (21 ounces), a white cake mix, 1/4 -1/2 cup butter, melted & 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans. In a 9 by 13 pan, spread both cans of cherry pie filling. Add the melted butter to the cake mix and break apart the resulting mixture and crumble it evenly over the pie filling. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 - 45 minutes until the topping is golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Fast, easy and very delicious.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

What if you want to establish better habits, then decide what habit you want to work on. Again, try an easier one first for that good feeling of success. Let's consider more exercise. Start small. Don't try to run a marathon right away. Set the amount of time, the type of exercise and when to do it to begin making sure that it is within your reach. If it works for you each week add a bit more. Walking is one of the best ways to get good overall movement but there are many exercise videos on YouTube of varying lengths and difficulty to check out. Change your exercise routines to eliminate getting bored. For hardcore exercise with weights, give yourself a day in-between to recover. Even on days you would rather not exercise, do it and see if you feel better. It takes an average of 66 days to establish a habit. Just think 66 days to establish a good habit for a lifetime. Sounds like a good thing to me...how about you?