tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29657327104215161792023-11-16T06:49:38.517-08:00Diannia's HouseThis is a place for me to keep track of my day to day happenings. Please join me in my journey through life!Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-44793846525265596632016-07-07T11:18:00.000-07:002016-07-07T11:18:13.698-07:00We're Going to Disneyland!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The hubby surprised us all by announcing we are taking the adult kids and grandkids to Disneyland in December!!! Unfortunately, our oldest son and his family have planned to move out of state next month and will not be around to go with us (I'll take them someplace super special when I go visit them instead). Our plan is to go the 1st week of December. It's quite daunting to check around looking for the best deals on this! We have decided we want to stay in the Disneyland Hotel, 3 nights and 3 days. To say we are excited is an UNDERSTATEMENT! The daughter-in-love broke down in tears when she was told! I've already got a Pinterest page set up for it and been shopping for "stuff". I picked up some great notebooks for the kiddos to use for autographs and will trick them out a bit. 1 just happened to "fall into the shopping cart" for me too so I can write down all my plans and lists...yep I'm that kinda gal. Last night I made a stop at Dollar Tree and found some things that will fit in perfectly...and all in Disney décor! There are kid's activity books, individual packs of Kleenex, snack boxes, napkins, and rings just to name a few! I even found OPI nail polish in Disney colors so I can do my nails. I'll try to get a picture of my haul soon. One of the grands found a cute Disney bag at WalMart that I just had to bring home with me the other night. She wasn't too happy that I didn't give it to her...lol. <br />
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Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-32423120260592363222016-06-20T13:21:00.001-07:002016-06-20T13:21:11.376-07:00Weekend Happenings...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This weekend was a busy one! Twice a year our city does a neighborhood trash pickup. They take things like tree trimmings and junk that doesn't fit in a normal trash can. Hubby spent almost all day Saturday going through tile we've had stored on the side of the house, trimming trees, taking down a partial fence and just going through "stuff". He worked hard! I helped him with the tile and found muscles that I'd forgotten I had...ouch! I went to the grocery store and stocked up on chicken breasts (.99 cents a lb) and repackaged them. I decided the freezer needed a good going through while I was at it. Laundry was also tackled. Sunday I worked in the toddler classroom at church then spent the afternoon with 1 daughter-in-love and 3 of the grands. Two of them spent the night but didn't have a change of clothes so a run to Wal-Mart finished out our day. Hubby spent the afternoon relaxing on the couch then had to drive 5 hours last evening to his workplace in order to be there at 6:00 this morning. All in all a very productive weekend...time to start a new week!</div>
Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-53889092648586986002016-06-13T12:48:00.000-07:002016-06-13T12:48:35.650-07:00What's Been Going On Around Our Place<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We have been busy working...that's what's been going on around our place! Hubby has been finishing the built-in table in the backyard and it's fabulous! Here's a picture:<br />
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Now he's working on finishing the wall behind the Green Egg and BBQ grill:<br />
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I've kept busy too though! I planted several pots of succulents in the front yard, staked our pepper plants, planted a couple of flower pots in the backyard AND have been working on 2 quilt tops! The 1st one is a Marilyn Monroe quilt for 1 of my daughter-in-loves:<br />
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We still need to pick out borders for it.<br />
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The other quilt I'm working on is a churndash. I was in a block exchange with friends from all over the USA in 2012 and had put the blocks away with "someday doing something with them". Well, I pulled them out this weekend and here are most of them:<br />
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I want to turn them into something like this:<br />
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I'm well on my way to it too! I may make the flowers a bit different...we'll see.<br />
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We also been having fun in the pool and bbq'ing with family.<br />
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On the weight-loss note...I'm down 45 lbs as of today!<br />
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Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-17173088045550570312016-05-24T11:18:00.000-07:002016-05-24T11:18:55.398-07:003 month update & My Great Estate Sale Find<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sunday was my 3 month post surgery anniversary. I'm less than 1 lb. from loosing 40 lbs! Here's my pic:<br />
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I've had to go buy a few new shirts to wear to work. I decided I wasn't going to spend a lot on them since I 'm still loosing so I went to WalMart and found some cute t-shirt type for summer. The shirt in the picture is several years old but I only wore it once before outgrowing it. I kept it to wear as an overshirt but never did. Now I can wear it buttoned up! I've noticed my breasts and hips are smaller. Hubby said I'm getting curvier! I went to the drs. for my 3 month check-up last week and the dr. was very happy with my loss so far. So am I!<br />
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We went estate saling this weekend and I got the find of the century...ok so it was technically at a yard sale...I'm still super excited! I got a like new Coach purse for $40...can you believe it? I was in total shock. I bought it with the idea I might try reselling it but after getting it home and really checking it out I introduced it to it's sister Coach's in my closet...yep I just increased my purse collection by 1! I'm not a snob about purses and used to use 1 until it wore out but a few years ago we got some gift cards for an outlet mall and I spent mine on a Coach purse. I carried it for 6 months and it looked just like new! I was sold on Coach brand from then on. I've slowly added to my collection of them by getting them as gifts from hubby for my birthday or Christmas. I was also given a fun denim one by a co-worker too! I currently have a navy blue one, a red one, a black/white one, a brown one and the denim one. Here's a pic of the one I just got on Saturday:<br />
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Sorry it's not the greatest picture...the purse really is gorgeous!<br />
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I also got a really pretty necklace at another yard sale and a Thomas Kincaide lighted house that is numbered. I had thought to use it in a fairy garden but I'll have to check to see if it's worth anything before I possibly mess it up...<br />
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Another thing I look for at yard/estate sales is paper goods. Unopened packages of napkins and paper plates. I found both this weekend! We have a lot of family over for dinners and these come in handy!<br />
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Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-80695108132758676592016-05-03T11:06:00.000-07:002016-05-03T11:06:20.801-07:00Yard Sale/Estate Sale finds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This past weekend the hubs and I went to a few yard sales/estate sales before heading over to a quilting/sewing supplies sale. I'm happy to report we got a few great finds! At 1 sale they had a big box of Legos (in original box). They are Harry Potter's castle! I got the set for $15!!! It's supposed to have over 900 pieces....for $15!!!! I went online and this set sells for anywhere from $175 to $1500 (new and unopened). Here's a few pics of our find:<br />
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The grandsons played with the set after we got home and 1 of them decided to take the big chunks of pieces apart (ok so he smashed them with a Joker toy). Anyway, I decided to try my hand at putting it all together this week. The last pic is how far I got last night. Did I mention there are over 900 pieces??? I figure I can probably have it done in about a week of evenings and they better not take it apart again!!! Oh and I better be their favorite Nana too!<br />
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We also found a vintage portable sewing table for $15! Again, I went online and found that one just like it sold a couple of years ago on eBay for $235!!! Score for me!!!! Here is a pic of the 1 that sold:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvQVnpwIsn-ovaUbKClOTAk-h3f7X55m6FyV6vxYQzLyaFexGXOTwxi7DUqRtg-wuGJevIfTOkXPEGoyGa_z5cxKQbz1Qj0kY8HBp259e9hqb7B4N45lcnayf45Uy3-79p9dz5oVLR04/s1600/sewing+table.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvQVnpwIsn-ovaUbKClOTAk-h3f7X55m6FyV6vxYQzLyaFexGXOTwxi7DUqRtg-wuGJevIfTOkXPEGoyGa_z5cxKQbz1Qj0kY8HBp259e9hqb7B4N45lcnayf45Uy3-79p9dz5oVLR04/s320/sewing+table.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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I'm going to clean mine up and take it to the 5th wheel in a couple of weeks. <br />
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We also found a couple of dolls that are similar to this one:<br />
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<a data-ved="0ahUKEwiD7-LVvb7MAhUELmMKHabNBjEQjRwIBw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiD7-LVvb7MAhUELmMKHabNBjEQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.terapeak.com%2Fworth%2Fmary-engelbreit-afternoon-tea-sakura-dessert-plates%2F161938579691%2F&psig=AFQjCNGSe9jF4BzbErfkv0Q-SYPcIO5A9A&ust=1462384696505966" id="irc_mil" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk;irc.il;" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" height="190" id="irc_mi" src="http://d2ydh70d4b5xgv.cloudfront.net/images/2/6/set-of-4-at-home-with-mary-engelbreit-tea-time-salad-dessert-plates-sakura-new-b2380d3f6945e2256d80505ca8807b23.jpg" style="margin-top: 142px;" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTQ0MFg4MTA=/z/GikAAOSwd0BV1ImZ/$_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" clk="" height="200" id="viEnlargeImgLayer_img_ctr" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTQ0MFg4MTA=/z/GikAAOSwd0BV1ImZ/$_57.JPG" width="112" /></a></div>
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We got them for $6 for both.<br />
I found some Sakura Mary Englebreit plates like these (no box). I got the set of 4 for $2! They are selling online for around $40 with the box. I'll take $2 and no box...thank you very much! We also got a few other things but these were my biggest finds...I wonder what next weekend will bring!<br />
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Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-38887440544865215962016-04-27T07:49:00.001-07:002016-04-27T07:49:48.719-07:00My New Life: Food<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday I touched just a bit on my food. I thought I'd take you a little more in depth of my food intake as of right now. Here are a few typical meals:<br />
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Breakfast:<br />
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1/3 cup instant oatmeal with just a little Lactaid free milk (1/3 cup is 1/3 package of instant oatmeal...so 1 package=3 breakfasts for me).<br />
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or<br />
<br />
1 hard boiled egg and 1 slice of ham<br />
<br />
or <br />
<br />
2 oz low fat yogurt with 1 oz of fruit added<br />
<br />
or<br />
<br />
2 egg muffins (9 eggs whisked with chopped ham, onions, and salsa. Pour mixture into 12 muffin tin holes that have been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake on 350 until done. Take out of oven and immediately add small amount of LF cheese (I used Sergento's ultra thin sliced cheese, 1/4 of the slice on each "muffin"). They are very filling. 2of them weighed 4 oz so are over what I'm supposed to eat. I brought 2 to work for breakfast today but can't finish 1/2 of the 2nd one because I'm full. I'll probably eat the last couple of bites before lunch but next time I make them (this weekend) I will divide mine up to 1 1/2 per serving. If you make these make sure you make enough for everybody because they are good! I'm going to have to try these with bacon bits (from Costco) when I use up the ham slice!<br />
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Here's a picture:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs95vIOwiJoFWt9c5x4NF1QlkHqInpRbJVTT8nVbgmI56FDNAd_0nDXWczmSrsG8CZCsN1Iu8zIpaLPullZiN2kIH3ob7O0gZRehBSfSkKviAxQzREH3JpSpi6KJPWHlOI_g0dGNoLjHU/s1600/breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs95vIOwiJoFWt9c5x4NF1QlkHqInpRbJVTT8nVbgmI56FDNAd_0nDXWczmSrsG8CZCsN1Iu8zIpaLPullZiN2kIH3ob7O0gZRehBSfSkKviAxQzREH3JpSpi6KJPWHlOI_g0dGNoLjHU/s320/breakfast.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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Lunch:<br />
<br />
I usually bring leftovers such as:<br />
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1.5 oz meat such as chicken<br />
1.5 oz veggies such as cauliflower<br />
a little teriyaki sauce drizzled on top<br />
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or<br />
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a slice of ham with 1/2 a lite cheese wedge rolled up and a couple of grape tomatoes<br />
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Dinner:<br />
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1.5 oz of meat <br />
1.5 oz of veggies or potato<br />
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Here is a picture of a typical lunch or dinner for me:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1V2SA2okx1enHjvX4YNxvUOguRBP6wh7wLuXdhmICnJUwaWXJkbCBHYqqr4sa5AXTWb3fYX1G5nmGi2up08BNbHp2zQHpbQOv1YW-JD_qL-2EwIbbSZAK0zeRiDRE3MRijLH9ocmCpA/s1600/meal.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1V2SA2okx1enHjvX4YNxvUOguRBP6wh7wLuXdhmICnJUwaWXJkbCBHYqqr4sa5AXTWb3fYX1G5nmGi2up08BNbHp2zQHpbQOv1YW-JD_qL-2EwIbbSZAK0zeRiDRE3MRijLH9ocmCpA/s320/meal.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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It might look big in the picture but it's really not and I still have to remind myself that this will fill me up~<br />
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I can't eat breads, pastas or rice for 6 months and to be honest I feel so much better without them that I may not add them back in!<br />
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I'm not supposed to snack but in reality I still do. My snacking has changed though. Before the surgery I craved and ate sweets...all...day...long. Now, I don't crave sweets hardly at all. My snacking consists of mostly the following:<br />
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Raw yellow peppers (I used to not like them)<br />
Grape tomatoes<br />
1/2 c. yogurt w/a little bit of cooked apples mixed in<br />
1/2 SF pudding cup<br />
Frozen Go-Gurt<br />
1/2 Banana w/a little bit of p-nut butter<br />
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Like I said I don't crave sweets much but I do crave protein and vegetables. <br />
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I realize my food may not sound exciting but I'm learning food is a fuel and it's not supposed to always be exciting and gooy and extra "yummy". I've stopped saying desserts look yummy. Instead I say they look pretty. If something is extra pretty we don't eat it right? Therefore desserts are pretty and I can admire them for their prettiness and not feel deprived by not eating them! I also tell myself that just because I can't have something today doesn't mean I can't ever have it, just that I can't have it today. For example, those delicious ribs my brother-in-law cooks. I couldn't have them a month ago and took some cooked chicken to eat instead. Last weekend he cooked them again and this time I was able to eat a few bites of them and did fine. I do realize there are some things I may never be able to eat again because they are triggers for me...potato chips, chocolate chip cookies, ice cream. I love these 3 and I won't be satisified with just 1 of them so I just won't start!<br />
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My next post will be on drinks...see you around the water cooler!</div>
Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-75004950987207433642016-04-25T12:51:00.000-07:002016-04-25T12:51:16.893-07:00Long time gone but I'm back!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been off blogging for so long I hesitated to start again. Then I started worrying about whether I'd keep it up. In the end I decided I'd just go for it today and worry about future posts in the future! Lots has happened since I last posted...grandbabies have been born (we now have 10! 7 girls and 3 boys). Hubs had roux-en-y surgery a year ago last October and has lost 140 lbs! He did crazy good with it so I joined him and had the surgery 2 months ago last Friday. I've lost 31.8 lbs so far. I'm not going to lie and say it was a piece of cake but it was definitely doable! I went in 1st thing on Monday, Feb 22nd and was in my room by early afternoon. I spent the rest of the day dozing in and out. I went home the following day in the afternoon! My menu for the 1st week was clear broth, sugar free popsicles, sugar free jello and sugar free drinks. The 2nd week I was moved up a notch to include a few pureed items, including tomato soup..I thought it tasted like it came from Heaven after a week of clear broth! I'm now able to eat most anything that is good for me (meaning no breads, sweets, pasta, rice). I didn't do well with raw baby carrots so will stay clear of them for a while longer. I've not tried any meat that would be harder to digest such as steak yet but did eat a little bit of pork rib yesterday and did fine with it. Guess how much I can eat at each meal right now...go ahead guess...give up yet? My portions are 1/3 cup at each meal....not of each item but total!!! Out of the 1/3 cup 1/2 is to be protein. That equates to 1.5 oz (or more) of protein and 1.5 oz of veggie or fruit. It's not a lot but believe it or not it fills me up! If you've known me for very long you know how much of a sweet eater I am...well guess what...I don't crave sweets anymore! I can still have sugar free jello or pudding if I really get a hankering for something sweet but usually I'm fine without it. In the future I'm probably going to be sharing weight loss type things along with my quilting things...be forewarned!<br />
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I've decided that I will break down some of my catching up and weight loss into different posts...it'll give me something to blog about for a while!</div>
Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-30208262759349941192013-02-04T13:25:00.000-08:002013-02-04T13:25:28.732-08:00Valentine's Parties<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm getting ready to host a couple of Valentine's parties this week. The 1st one will be with my quilting friends tomorrow evening. We usually get together the 1st and 3rd Tuesday evening of every month to sew/crochet/gab (with a heavy emphisis on the gab part...smile). Last get together I asked if they'd like to do a potluck and they thought it was a fine idea soooo we're going to do a Mexican dinner of tacos, rice and chips w/salsa. I can't decide if I want to bake or just pick up a quick dessert to finish off the evening. Guess I'll see what they have at the grocery store tonight. I found the cutest plates and napkins at Joanns a couple of weeks ago. They have a heart on them that looks like it's crazy quilted...AND I found matching goodie boxes! I'd tell you what's going in them but will wait until after the dinner.<br />
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On Saturday I'm hosting an American Girl tea party for the 2 granddaughters that live here and a couple of their little friends. I'll get some pictures taken of a few of the things I have in store then post them...hopefully tonight! It's gonna be sooo much fun!<br />
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Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-41420482020872034522013-01-30T11:16:00.001-08:002013-01-30T11:17:38.643-08:00What I've been working on<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been busy lately working on a quilt. The pattern is called "So Many Squares". I now have the blocks and triangles done! I put them all up on the design wall just to make sure I made enough...and I did! Please excuse the lighting, it was night and I only have 3 lamps in the room. The yellow is much lighter in real life and the dark triangles are a navy blue...oh and the wave at the bottom is where the lamps are plugged in under the design wall and makes a bump! I've got most of it taken back down now and the blocks trimmed...sure hope I didn't mess it up doing that! I like how it's turning out but I don't think I'll ever be making it again...sooo much work!!!<br />
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Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-62539888032295894792013-01-23T12:37:00.000-08:002013-01-23T12:39:32.564-08:00Valentine Necklace and Bracelet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I decided that me and the girls need to make Valentine necklaces and bracelets for our AG dolls. I went shopping at Hobby Lobby in Visalia on Saturday and found some really cute Valentine ornaments that look like those candy hearts that are so popular with the kiddos. I bought 1 package and on Sunday we pulled out all of my old beads (I had a huge box full) and we set to work...and quickly got frustrated...the holes in the beads were too small for the elastic thread! Back to the drawing board I went. On Monday I went to Joann's and found some really cute beads that had bigger holes. The only problem I had with them was deciding which ones to get because they were all so pretty! I ended up getting 5 tubes of purple and pink beads. Last night I decided to try making a necklace to see if it worked better before getting the girls involved again. Here is a picture of the finished product. I think it turned out nicely (and it went so quickly that I decided to make a bracelet too!) The little flower on her finger is a nail art sticker. We thought it made cute "rings".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEV4einONFqpy52aSP5hFPvM03G3fYt8SCJFDQxXgdYAaG8hUZWSWNfIkXzYBG8O0ylKiGKZ_TFI9KdgScPU6azqTxfxIidMtXHqAGTEpVs6OcjEcgv8EtfsDpgfIlfWeDwiVMoJYx5iQ/s1600/Valentine's+necklace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEV4einONFqpy52aSP5hFPvM03G3fYt8SCJFDQxXgdYAaG8hUZWSWNfIkXzYBG8O0ylKiGKZ_TFI9KdgScPU6azqTxfxIidMtXHqAGTEpVs6OcjEcgv8EtfsDpgfIlfWeDwiVMoJYx5iQ/s200/Valentine's+necklace.jpg" width="148" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdqDa7fGebahwEwrM3q9e1IjTSFpQolNqORYLc77xEMlqgffmfmLVaAQhpGyZ-PNd4Wtei2gZ7g4tBIshf9bAoZmq1xswsBUG7XV5S9Fz849DmqwC15zeUrh48rGENiTHbAXnM75IzKc/s1600/Valentine's+bracelet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdqDa7fGebahwEwrM3q9e1IjTSFpQolNqORYLc77xEMlqgffmfmLVaAQhpGyZ-PNd4Wtei2gZ7g4tBIshf9bAoZmq1xswsBUG7XV5S9Fz849DmqwC15zeUrh48rGENiTHbAXnM75IzKc/s200/Valentine's+bracelet.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>
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Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-76708161595079121002013-01-12T10:00:00.000-08:002013-01-12T10:00:23.487-08:00I'm back!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello there! I know I've been gone for quite some time but plan to start blogging again. We bought 2 of the grandgirls American Girl dolls for their birthdays in November. For Christmas we gave them doll trunks loaded with clothes and accessories...some store bought and some made by me. Brianna is the oldest and plays with hers much more than the younger one but they both really like them. Their dolls are enjoying coming over for our almost weekly sleepovers and visiting with MY American Girl doll that Andy got me for Christmas. He said I made so many outfits and enjoyed doing it that I needed my own doll...isn't that sweet? Sooo, I've decided that this will be the year of AG dolls. I plan on having craft nights with the girls each month for us to make something for our dolls. I haven't got the months planned yet but am working on a Valentine's tea party. I contacted a friend and her little granddaughter has an AG doll and she said she'd love to help me plan the party...yea! If you've never gone over to see Cheryl at cheryl-comfort.blogspot.com. You are in for a real treat! I'm getting ready for a class on my new iMac laptop (hubby was very generous at Christmas). I'll take some pics of things I found for the AG dolls at the Dollar store and post them later!</div>
Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-84986700405916903992012-06-04T13:42:00.003-07:002012-06-04T13:42:44.447-07:00Lots of Stuff<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi! I'm still alive! I've just been very very busy! About a month ago I went to an Estate Sale and bought lots of stuff! The lady that passed was a sewer and boy did I ever come away with fabric! I also bought us 2 recliners and a small one for the grands. I've been wanting to consolidate the grandgirl's rooms into 1 room and finally started on it. I spent about 3 weeks sorting and moving everything I'm keeping for them into the smallest of the bedrooms. It's turned out pretty cute! The 3rd bedroom is quite a mess still with stuff for a yard sale, things I want to keep and a recliner going to the kids house when they have room for it. We'll have a yard sale in a couple of weeks and then we're going to paint the room back to a nice sunny yellow. I made drapes for it and the office over the weekend. When I was moving things around I decided to utilize some storage on the side of the 3rd bedroom closet to hold yarn. When I say yarn I mean YARN...you see my father-in-law called me here while back and said he was at an Estate Sale and there were several tubs of yarn for sale for $20 and did I want it...heck ya! Then about 2 weekends later I stopped at a yardsale and a lady was selling all her yarn stash because of carpal tunnel...3 more tubs for $25...double score! Here are a couple of pics of my yarn stash:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgietnQum6i13f52-lRU1D8p9J96ZoGxEIwMSCxR56afQ3sLHzE86vmYVXsANLPmHgwRwVP8bv4lddrJOiKYW0Q4ruohxFCcW8DPgqK6_GBm3y6hJl4UrKlezausMimbMaWIB2bFwYOes/s1600/yarn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgietnQum6i13f52-lRU1D8p9J96ZoGxEIwMSCxR56afQ3sLHzE86vmYVXsANLPmHgwRwVP8bv4lddrJOiKYW0Q4ruohxFCcW8DPgqK6_GBm3y6hJl4UrKlezausMimbMaWIB2bFwYOes/s320/yarn.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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As you can see there is so much I couldn't get it all in 1 picture! The bottom tote is full of yarn too...blacks, browns, and varigated. I've already started using from my stash to make a white baby afghan for our "grand on the way". I always try to have a crochet scarf in the works. I donate them every winter to the homeless. I think I'll be able to make lots of scarves this summer!<br />
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</div>Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-91649972924782461252012-04-02T15:41:00.000-07:002012-04-02T15:41:29.370-07:00Busy long weekend<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Boy howdy was I ever busy this past weekend! Here's a rundown:<br />
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Friday-vacuum/sewing shop was having a sale on some fabric...$1.00 a yard!!! You can't even buy muslin for that so I was there abotu 15 minutes after they opened...of course there was already a line and the fabric was gobbled up BUT I managed to still get 31 yards of some really nice fabrics for backings! It was so cute all the ladies standing in line were eyeballing the fabrics getting cut and asking if the person was taking it all or just some of it then someone would hold up the bolt and the next person in line that wanted it would get it...we had fun! After that I spent a nice afternoon doing some sewing and puttering around the house. Went to dinner with the hubs and enjoyed a nice steak and ribs.<br />
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Saturday-We went to see our accountant to get our taxes done for the year...broke even...yea!!!<br />
I took a little trip to Tulare to go to lunch with a quilting friend. We found a nice 50's diner in downtown Tulare then did a little shopping in a kitchen store and of course a fabric store (Beverly's). I found lots of goodies in both places. Drove home in the rain but since I'd started dinner in the crockpot all I had to do was make a gravy and we were good to go. <br />
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Sunday-I made a grocery run before church. I dropped off the doll blankets for the toddlers and ended up working in the toddler room during church. I have so much fun with the littles! Me and hubs went to Chili's for a quick lunch then off to Costco for all the necessaries. We can NEVER get out of there for less than $100!!! Hubs took a nap and I spent the afternoon dividing things up into individual servings, making yogurt and baking banana bread. We had some yummy homemade spaghetti for dinner.<br />
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All in all a wonderful busy but still relaxing weekend.<br />
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As for the yogurt...man is this homemade stuff good! I scooped out a couple of individual servings and added Splenda and vanilla to them. For my afternoon snack I cut up some apple and sprinkled a little cinnamon in with it and poured the yogurt over it...yummmmmy!!!!! <br />
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Not sure what the evening will bring. Hubs asked me to make him something so I may get started on that...of course I need to pay a couple of bills and get the checkbook caught up for the weekend spending as well. And let's not forget an hour or so in the quilting studio!!!!</div>Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-85640943719807584632012-03-26T16:32:00.000-07:002012-03-26T16:32:59.242-07:00I made yogurt!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I can't believe how easy it is to make yogurt in a crockpot! I found the recipe/directions at this wonderful blog: <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.htmlI" target="_blank">http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html</a> and decided to give it a try since I'm not overly fond of store bought yogurt. Since I only have a huge crockpot I started keeping my eyes open at yardsales for a smaller one and a couple of weeks ago I picked one up t for a whole $2.00. The recipe was for a larger batch than my little crock would hold so I just halved it and it turned out fine! Stephanie also mentioned starting out using whole milk until you get the hang of making yogurt...well, all I had was 2% so that's what I used and it turned out just fine! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52Vliq-newAOWWQJIbMtJ0JO83HtUUER5eN8W7wTEC2PpQK5QiYdgGprhAphZN1G9fkdYms7EI9SEDf4-PfCd5jWKv99a6_U54BNH7WAkKSz90E79LHPdSnBTDZ7jbuaKcAZpt-ijBBA/s1600/yogurt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52Vliq-newAOWWQJIbMtJ0JO83HtUUER5eN8W7wTEC2PpQK5QiYdgGprhAphZN1G9fkdYms7EI9SEDf4-PfCd5jWKv99a6_U54BNH7WAkKSz90E79LHPdSnBTDZ7jbuaKcAZpt-ijBBA/s320/yogurt.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
Doesn't it look pretty? After it was made I took a CLEAN tea towel and lined my collander and dumped the yogut in to get rid of some of the whey. I know I could have used it in cooking but this was my first time and I just didn't know what to use it for. I let it chill in the refrigerator overnight and the next morning I cut up some fresh strawberries and put them in small containers with some of the yogurt. The littles had spent the night so I let them have the fun of adding their own sweetner. I a small amount of powdered sugar in a little bitty bowl and gave them a teeny tiny spoon to sprinkle the sugar into their yogurt...they had lots of fun doing it and ate their yogurt right up! Bri even asked for 2nds!!! I put Splenda in the rest of it along with some more cut up strawberries and let it sit for a few days and man 'o man is it ever yummy! Good thing I kept a little bit out for my started on my next batch!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1B1nikklVik9AD6MH7KwqG9YIkSxISIDuf-5nXSL2QSjvPxNomyeb0j895zC3hmi2kB1k4pdj3d7rcdcOpi3uCpIG-eQwUJtnlPp5T3zblpHnKftfc1Jru0HfrOSRXnN1RRNXaIc0CE/s1600/strawberry+yogurt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1B1nikklVik9AD6MH7KwqG9YIkSxISIDuf-5nXSL2QSjvPxNomyeb0j895zC3hmi2kB1k4pdj3d7rcdcOpi3uCpIG-eQwUJtnlPp5T3zblpHnKftfc1Jru0HfrOSRXnN1RRNXaIc0CE/s320/strawberry+yogurt.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
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It was so good that I decided I need a bigger (medium sized) crockpot to make it in! Try it...I promise you will LOVE it!!!<br />
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</div>Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-7951048689995234532012-03-16T16:16:00.001-07:002012-03-16T16:19:18.544-07:00What I've Been Up To...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Oh my goodness! I can't believe it's been a month since my last post! I've not been lazing around doing nothing for the past month though...I've been busy I tell ya! I've gone yard sailing a couple of Saturdays (and found great things), spent time with the grands, done some quilting, sewn some more doll outfits and moved things around in the quilting studio...not to mention the regular day to day stuff of work, laundry, etc, etc, etc. I AM very lucky to be able to afford to hire my almost daughter-in-law to come over and clean the house for me every couple of weeks. That frees up about 4 hours of my weekend and gives her some spending money. Double win! <br />
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My oldest son and his family moved to Oregon last month so I've been a bit down about that. Here's a picture of his son sitting in his bathtub...he loves this duck!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7SudKCgDps17EUgwVIWMLqYG60lJNd6lGXUnA2D2NnNPlM0WyW5FKH2JZ7KWfcaPIh9hHzVrdZ-yz9h7_-FPuGUwLNcvIfKNph2inJJQFMefW6Fxa2oQQujMcr8bgqrOZUJMAqGRLE4/s1600/Hunter+&+Ducky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7SudKCgDps17EUgwVIWMLqYG60lJNd6lGXUnA2D2NnNPlM0WyW5FKH2JZ7KWfcaPIh9hHzVrdZ-yz9h7_-FPuGUwLNcvIfKNph2inJJQFMefW6Fxa2oQQujMcr8bgqrOZUJMAqGRLE4/s320/Hunter+&+Ducky.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Now if he could just figure out how to get it into the bathtub he'd be in business (clothing optional!)...<br />
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I just figured out how to Skype last night and spent some time on it with them...Hunter was so excited to talk to me and waved and blew me kisses. Gosh I miss him! I guess Sammi has been Skyping with her other Gma and Uncle so at 6 yrs old she's a pro at it. We had tons of fun catching up on her new friends and her going to the circus.<br />
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I had a Nana/Mia night when Bri went to a Daddy/Daughter night a few weekends ago. Me and Mia went to Walmart and McD's before coming home for the evening. At Walmart she picked out some Barney movies and nail stickers for her fun evening. Here's a picture of her putting them on:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pC3Zu1iZ6ffTQ1jJUOFrluKKdjURPtY15AGztwrF_uNsh3fnbwwzSgZNBeRiF4L0NbEq1zakxSvF1JcTgtfc-iqQydINtp-9-UhDadhW43ys4pX_8loanityCWzikhQL9TfTy81sjUE/s1600/Mia+putting+on+nail+stickers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pC3Zu1iZ6ffTQ1jJUOFrluKKdjURPtY15AGztwrF_uNsh3fnbwwzSgZNBeRiF4L0NbEq1zakxSvF1JcTgtfc-iqQydINtp-9-UhDadhW43ys4pX_8loanityCWzikhQL9TfTy81sjUE/s320/Mia+putting+on+nail+stickers.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I can't believe she's 4 yrs old already! <br />
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I believe I mentioned moving around my quilting room and yard sailing...well here's a picture that pertains to both:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhaDNv7k9bV2xq5cb1WCyonVWoxewVaKl9IapFTjf49JZ1-T9VFv3hIhVoV8OJSTfnZjyobcf25vwiFPSU7gutiy_aE6BeCGKLutk0PJFBpi5pygWktvjL8Qgt2BfboUyXR0NMWJ3UUQ/s1600/room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhaDNv7k9bV2xq5cb1WCyonVWoxewVaKl9IapFTjf49JZ1-T9VFv3hIhVoV8OJSTfnZjyobcf25vwiFPSU7gutiy_aE6BeCGKLutk0PJFBpi5pygWktvjL8Qgt2BfboUyXR0NMWJ3UUQ/s320/room.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>We have dedicated the formal living room for my quilting studio. When we first moved into the house the room seemed HUGE! Now, 3 years later, I've been trying to find a way to fit a nice comfy chair in the room so I can either sit and do hand work OR have a place for someone else to sit and visit with me...soooo I moved the midarm and table on a diagonal and it really opened up the room for more possibilites. This chair was purchased a couple of years ago at a yardsale. It is antique oak and set me back $100 but it's very solid and gorgeous and worth it to me. I picked up the little table/storage basket thingy last weekend for a whole 2 bucks...can you believe it!?! It was dirty...the kind of dirt that sticks (I'm thinking it was in a bathroom and hairspray is on it) so I'm going to spray paint it in a couple of weekends. It's sitting there now for me to try and decide if I want to leave it there or move it someplace else (like the bathroom), and paint it white again or perhaps a nice warm brown. The fabric on the baskets and top are temporary. The little figurines on top also came from yardsales for a dollar or less. Some of the other things I've found lately are a couple of Raggedy Ann dolls, books for the grands, a book on CD for me, bathroom accessories for almost DDIL, a tub of misc sewing accessories like thread and bobbins, a bunch of little teddy bears that the girls can play with their 18" dolls with, puzzles (for me), a couple of dolls for the grands, and a little table that looks like it's for a kitchen but I'm putting next to the BBQ just to name a few...sorry I don't have pictures of all of this! <br />
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I finished up a quilt for an upcoming baby shower and made some burp cloths to go with it. I'm really excited about the gift because it all came from stash! I'll try to get a picture and post it later.<br />
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I'm currently working on 36 churn dash blocks for an exchange I'm in. We are doing red & white blocks. I'd love to work on them this weekend but I kind of doubt I'll have time. <br />
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I wish I had more time to blog but gosh there are only so many hours in a day...sooo I can either sew and spend time with the family OR I can blog about it! My first choice is always sewing and family hence the few and far between posts sometimes. Speaking of family, here's a picture of the youngest grandson. He's wearing a hat that was on one of the dolls I bought last weekend...silly cute boy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNLW2SY3FBjbuus6UwAzdWvumgCCI2nUuDrZVW_siyDOyUa0rb489qS_hJv1PVTOKXkw5zG_YicDx76rZnEuTRDdGn2VWdo2FWMaIZPGwDew-HdepWQgKbs2VTJr1n9kU2CtclcOs1fs/s1600/roman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNLW2SY3FBjbuus6UwAzdWvumgCCI2nUuDrZVW_siyDOyUa0rb489qS_hJv1PVTOKXkw5zG_YicDx76rZnEuTRDdGn2VWdo2FWMaIZPGwDew-HdepWQgKbs2VTJr1n9kU2CtclcOs1fs/s320/roman.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>As of right now we have 8 grands and 1 on the way and all are 6 years and under...I'm a very blessed Nana!!!<br />
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I'm linking up with Karen at sewmanyways.blogspot.com. If you've never visited her blog you need to head over there right away because you are missing out on some very intense awesomeness!!!<a href="http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/</a></div>Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-78484375228837535892012-02-15T16:25:00.000-08:002012-02-15T16:27:13.543-08:00More Doll Clothes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I've kept myself busy lately making more doll clothes! This could be addictive! Here are a few photos:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEYBwNryF1QnERpcq6bAB6oKCo_1z78eE6P4VS-0n9sfvR2C22bgmiq23TqnVfD1c0ZRuyOxhfLdhXq_OxmX_oVjSN3m8vENuyeUsE51iysGPbbqi0cnfVlz0qInd5pZvZimblHFvtT0/s1600/black+pants+green+shirt+close+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEYBwNryF1QnERpcq6bAB6oKCo_1z78eE6P4VS-0n9sfvR2C22bgmiq23TqnVfD1c0ZRuyOxhfLdhXq_OxmX_oVjSN3m8vENuyeUsE51iysGPbbqi0cnfVlz0qInd5pZvZimblHFvtT0/s320/black+pants+green+shirt+close+up.jpg" width="269" /></a></div>This outfit is on an American Girl doll I purchased off Ebay. She has a few issues such as loose strings in her arms, cut bangs and 2 different colored brown eyes. Her hair needs some brushing and something for the frizzies too but for $27.00 I can't complain too much. I mainly bought her so I don't have to keep borrowing one of the girls dolls to try clothes on. The pants for this outfit were fun to make. The top...not so much! It has a collar and interfacing and between the fact that I haven't done those things in several (alot) years and they were so small it took me several tries to get it looking right. The top is a bit snug on the American Girl. It fits the Karito doll just right but the pants are capris on her since she's about 2" taller than the AG. Here is the next outfit I made:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJM9knUl2rIpJSm3Wwit3vRYI4kdRjs49Z8rAFoOMyeI3dcK4CieZ3nlxK90tkvogmjM_OUcdKcwJJzx2VXo_wsZ5XkMKCd1F-CjknWZPSwI_0WCqD4rjUSOC3Rsyq92F46sjLvuOjqdg/s1600/pink+and+black+shorts+outfit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJM9knUl2rIpJSm3Wwit3vRYI4kdRjs49Z8rAFoOMyeI3dcK4CieZ3nlxK90tkvogmjM_OUcdKcwJJzx2VXo_wsZ5XkMKCd1F-CjknWZPSwI_0WCqD4rjUSOC3Rsyq92F46sjLvuOjqdg/s320/pink+and+black+shorts+outfit.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4j5Bxdbj2v5Ndu7ZOVPfDAnQKh1ysvJYk3sgENERMDB2BVhPOTXN34I-wwo-g7DA5T3hGujHP9rkHE5i-Jsj68LNunbHCsOr37RUJ5EHp6wZ9qJx0WU3sqP9PQEJK8S42mEZhHFynTM/s1600/jammies+closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4j5Bxdbj2v5Ndu7ZOVPfDAnQKh1ysvJYk3sgENERMDB2BVhPOTXN34I-wwo-g7DA5T3hGujHP9rkHE5i-Jsj68LNunbHCsOr37RUJ5EHp6wZ9qJx0WU3sqP9PQEJK8S42mEZhHFynTM/s200/jammies+closeup.jpg" width="149" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyq3YC7kdmoMfP8VEsZalbH1ecwGrlAsxvPzzsyI20uPAVFIz_TCYEmeIUV76SnJX2aMj5Iz36eyKU_BGW2G2F8ioZCInR1Xcoi-JHCvIXLh9JiKSfvHKbi8mpHoI7Y1HW95DqIp8RWs/s1600/Jammies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyq3YC7kdmoMfP8VEsZalbH1ecwGrlAsxvPzzsyI20uPAVFIz_TCYEmeIUV76SnJX2aMj5Iz36eyKU_BGW2G2F8ioZCInR1Xcoi-JHCvIXLh9JiKSfvHKbi8mpHoI7Y1HW95DqIp8RWs/s200/Jammies.jpg" width="149" /></a>This outfit was lots of fun to make. I've since put a cute black bow inbetween the straps at the top of the shirt. I had so much fun making this outfit that I've cut out 3 more (in different fabrics)! I also used the same pattern to make 2 sets of summertime jammies. As you can see I added cute little ribbon flowers at the ends of the straps. The other set has light blue buttons instead of flowers.<br />
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Here is the book I got these patterns out of: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQGOolOdqcf5ZwcDT9SAdDSbjQoalJZuD4p8uWyQYqhblieW4cOp7MUwvI-uwPqp2XGMsEu5_WzmMprhUHdsGlka6KFiVpE80r3hzdw9BYOSNLwORgcrn2hqzPoRQKoYuR0m4WDZ0JNA/s1600/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQGOolOdqcf5ZwcDT9SAdDSbjQoalJZuD4p8uWyQYqhblieW4cOp7MUwvI-uwPqp2XGMsEu5_WzmMprhUHdsGlka6KFiVpE80r3hzdw9BYOSNLwORgcrn2hqzPoRQKoYuR0m4WDZ0JNA/s200/book.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
I went to a yardsale last weekend and bought some white eyelet kitchen curtains. The valances are the perfect length to make cute skirts for the dolls. All I had to do was cut the length off to fit and sew that side up. Now I'm putting on snaps and they'll be finished! Cute little skirts for 50 cents with lots of fabric left over! <br />
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I've also made a few more things out of baby clothes. They aren't perfect but the girls love them and that's all that counts right? <br />
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This was made out of a size 18 month top. It was just asking to be made into a long dress.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPxc6osFhWDuXuhhcXNaJ0vmY6Zx5nm8S2a_V1NdA_Cgx5lAQvvP07nRzuJCzHE6_71v3lmJY3Fwnyof4JeIBCGJK9r2E0cZAr5a9NkBd0lULtFEyvYY8ebKQ8SYRKqhKE-X5gDZ0jdo/s1600/long+pink+nightie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPxc6osFhWDuXuhhcXNaJ0vmY6Zx5nm8S2a_V1NdA_Cgx5lAQvvP07nRzuJCzHE6_71v3lmJY3Fwnyof4JeIBCGJK9r2E0cZAr5a9NkBd0lULtFEyvYY8ebKQ8SYRKqhKE-X5gDZ0jdo/s320/long+pink+nightie.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mdRsOIoOMUVVtSsANFQHv3DXs8dGLIAzBjeQjGAUGyeJPNtx77pJOdAWz-I0FabehqQOqsESS3xGZIODebk0bSeHyMGQlIcjxu7IuYq5Yl61w7HYOzk4q6piIJLTuyv4Dbo71C2YMro/s1600/peach+outfit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mdRsOIoOMUVVtSsANFQHv3DXs8dGLIAzBjeQjGAUGyeJPNtx77pJOdAWz-I0FabehqQOqsESS3xGZIODebk0bSeHyMGQlIcjxu7IuYq5Yl61w7HYOzk4q6piIJLTuyv4Dbo71C2YMro/s320/peach+outfit.jpg" width="239" /></a><br />
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And this was also a long top. I cut it in half and made a skirt and top out of it. I used the cap sleeves to make matching anklets! By the way, this is a Madame Alexander doll. She's about the same size as an AG doll.<br />
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I've been busy sewing 2" scraps into a scrappy quilt but I'll save those pictures for another blog post...hope you all have a wonderful day!</div>Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-28602814434462060382012-01-23T15:27:00.000-08:002012-01-23T15:27:25.087-08:00I don't know how to do a link!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I joined a linking party but don't know how to show it on my blog so until I figure it out go to <a href="http://www.sewmanyways.blogspot.com/">www.sewmanyways.blogspot.com</a> and check it out! Ok, I'm off to see how to do this the right way!</div>Dianniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881423920549329814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965732710421516179.post-57720263494710416322012-01-18T13:04:00.000-08:002012-01-23T15:49:22.359-08:00Doll Clothes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I've been very busy lately! I decided I'd try my hand at making clothing for the grand's 18" dolls. I had bought a book a year or 2 ago and put it away thinking I'd get back to it shortly...we all know how that goes right? Please tell me I'm not the only one that does this! Anyway, I've dug the book out, looked at tons of pictures on Pinterest and gotten started on a new addiction...called doll clothes. My 1st project was to take a top that Mia had outgrown and see if I could turn it into a dress for Brianna's Karito Kids doll, Mae Ling. (Karito Kids are beautiful dolls and just a tad bit taller and slimmer than American Girls or Madame Alexander dolls.) I knew I wanted to save the cute embroidery work on the front of the dress and the eyelet at the collar and hem. By trying the top on the doll I was happy to see that it was the perfect length for a long dress! I took a big breath and started by taking off the center strip of the top and laying it aside. Then I took the plunge and cut the top down the front center. Boy, that was scary! I sewed it back together as close to the embroidery as possible then using a seam ripper took out the sides and sleeves. I had to remove the front from the back and after doing that I cut the back in half. I fiddled around with how to put an opening down the back so the clothing would slip on and off easily. I figured it out but had to go back later and make the opening bigger. The front and back were made smaller by cutting them at the sides and the sleeves had to be cut down to fit in the smaller opening. This all took me about 3 evenings of working on it. I went to Joann's and found some cute silk flowers to put down the front of the dress. I took the center strip that I had first taken off the shirt and made a simple headband and used the rest of the silk flowers on it. I was so happy with how the dress turned out that I decided Mae Ling needed new socks and shoes too! I took a youth's pair of white anklets and created kneehighs and then crocheted a pair of black Mary Jane shoes. While it's not perfect in my eyes it is in Bri's and that's all that counts! The girls spent the night with me on Saturday and Bri's comment after I finished the shoes and we got the doll dressed..."Oh Nana, she's perfect"! And that dear friends is all it took for me to get hooked on making doll clothes for the girls!<br />
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Mae Ling's new shoes and socks...I made the shoe pattern up!<br />
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Mae Ling in her new outfit:<br />
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Like I said above Christmas was wonderful! The kids were all happy w/their gifts and hubby liked his too. I got a 24 hour virus on Christmas Eve but was feeling better by Christmas day. New Year's Eve was good too. DS#2 and family came over but not DS#1 or his family, they went to visit friends in the mountains. We still had fun and the girls both stayed up to midnight...little night owls! They sure had fun counting down to midnight and drinking apple cider to bring in the new year...settling down to go to bed afterwards not so much.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHLXCSWLB8Vbx5HP-wIL51aZNTqwVNjySL8YCxYGWCUEEffxj4xZJ73hxVk2g4oTRUSKTDbigH3Vjw7vGOyV0XVLNtuaAIp4xX11hzB5Fj_BAfNKWjd70IkW_aa0C1n-Iiw-Ji8EQwuo/s200/cookie.jpg" width="149" /></div> And boy are they good! Gingerbread cookies dipped in white chocolate with little holly candies on top! Today I'm going to try my hardest to finish up my cookie baking!<br />
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<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Well, we're in the final countdown to Christmas! It's been a very busy time at the house! I've been wrapping lots and lots of gifts for all the littles (and not so littles too), decorating, shopping and now I'm in the baking mode. I made some round Christmas cookies so I can make these: </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And these: <img alt="reindeer sugar cookies" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/6262886951431289_kI3wKSvt_b.jpg" style="height: 127px;" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And possibly these: <img alt="Christmas Cookie Decorating" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/241927811202424031_1fkJEp9Q_b.jpg" style="height: 176px;" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These are in my plans for tonight: <img alt="Christmas cookie treat" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/191191946650312094_Pchn3IDh_b.jpg" style="height: 114px;" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Along with these: <img alt="Christmas cookie exchange :)" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/123778689728084130_XFJyN60d_b.jpg" style="height: 192px;" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There are lots more I'd like to try and hope to get time for. All these photos can be found on Pinterest.com.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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I got an email poke from a friend telling me I haven't blogged in a while...oops! I've been very busy! I finished making some Christmas presents, got Roman's quilt top completed, got the tree up and decorated, and started decorating the house, not to mention all the shopping I've been doing for Christmas presents for the littles! Here's a picture of our tree this year...very pretty even if I do say so myself!<br />
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I just love this tree. Andy and I got it the year we got engaged. We had so much fun picking out ornaments for it. We decorated it in blue, silver, white and clear ornaments. So many of the ornaments have a special memory attached to them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvIyxswoeIwLZ1vwEdIFZw0UcZ8PVvc_LVhrIlV-VVRF6vNtdGICqgtjjEc37PTkhyy_-ikKNj201OKO11S2ANR2Q-cFuwS8TXOjGTraHbAoONVVkFmy75ZMXLB2-mUSe9NT7zXZTKUQ/s1600/Romans+quilt+top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvIyxswoeIwLZ1vwEdIFZw0UcZ8PVvc_LVhrIlV-VVRF6vNtdGICqgtjjEc37PTkhyy_-ikKNj201OKO11S2ANR2Q-cFuwS8TXOjGTraHbAoONVVkFmy75ZMXLB2-mUSe9NT7zXZTKUQ/s400/Romans+quilt+top.jpg" width="300" /></a>Here's a picture of Roman's quilt top. It's a quick and easy pattern but turns out cute every time I make one.<br />
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I'd like to get it quilted this weekend but also have lots of Christmas gifts to wrap...decisions decisions!<br />
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</div><div style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 15.6pt; vertical-align: top;"><strong><span style="color: #2d2d29; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I am God, the only God you've had or ever will have— incomparable, irreplaceable—From the very beginning telling you what the ending will be, All along letting you in on what is going to happen, ASSURING YOU, 'I'm in this for the long haul, I'll do exactly what I set out to do,' I've said it, and I'll most certainly do it. I've planned it, so it's as good as done."</span></strong><span style="color: #2d2d29; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 15.6pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;"><strong><span style="color: #2d2d29; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">This is your God! He will bring evil to an end, and He will take care of you! He is in this journey for the long haul!</span></strong><span style="color: #2d2d29; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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