2010 AVA Shopping Extravaganza

I just participated in the 2010 AVA Shopping Extravaganza on Saturday, December 4th.  Set-up was Friday evening and early Saturday morning, and the event was from 9:00-4:00 on Saturday. It was very well-organized. Indoors. This year there were over 80 vendors, and lots of shoppers. 

I changed up my booth from what I used at the St Christopher art fair in October.  No canopy was needed since it was an indoor event. I had three 5' folding tables configured in a "U". I used a 36" high dog pen (halved) atop two of the tables to hang my purses on.  I also had a little round table, and a rolling cart for supplies and the top for display.  I used two wire closet shelves upended on each side of one of the tables to hang my banner on.  It all looked pretty good. And I'm proud of my innovation in using the dog pen for the display. I used empty thread spools with large paper clips in them to hold my little signs.  Clever!

There are some things I will change for next time, like adding another 5' table and dog pen, to have 4 tables with wire display, and moving the cart and chair to the back to be less visible. I expect to have more inventory next time around and will display it in like categories; i.e. denim, SuitZU, hobos, like I do with the Tote-A-Tees, Tote-A-Treats and Milk Money, and have better signage. 

I had some new items to sell this time. I made little Gift Card Wallets, Gift Bags, Gift Ghoul Guardians and Good ID. I'll post about them soon. 

The best part about this experience, besides the sales, was meeting some really nice people -- my neighbors.  The booth to my left belonged to Laneil & Jesse Vawter of Happy Stitchers, along with their daughter Karla Quigley.  What nice people! They sold sewed and embroidered items. The cutest aprons, baby items, pocket scarves and more.  Website coming soon.

The neighbor to my right was a direct sales rep with ThirtyOne, and turned out to be the daughter of a guy I went to high school with. We were in band. I was drum majorette. The years have been very kind to him.  Men have it so easy in the aging game. 

The neighbor next to Happy Stitchers was Barbara Jean Stathakos of Gems for Generations.  She had some really lovely jewelry pieces; some were made by her granddaughter.  What a team! I really enjoyed visiting with her. Check our her great jewelry at gemsforgenerations.com.

And my neighbor across from me was Karen of CheeseCakes by Karen out of Texas City, and her daughter.  Oh, my gosh. Her pecan candy, pecan tarts and cheesecake were DIVINE.  Soooooooo good. She encouraged tasting. So, I tasted. Smart lady. I got a dozen of the pecan tarts to take to the annual Christmas Tea the ladies of my church host every year.  I plan on ordering a cheesecake for a party I'll be attending on the 18th.  Yum!

All in all, the whole experience was a lot of hard work, but great fun. I've already reserved my space for next year. Yaaaaaaaaaaay!

HOME & GARDEN

FINALLY got the slip covers on the couch and loveseat. Wasn't sure I was going to like them because they have more tan and less blue that I really wanted. But I like them after all.  Take a look.

Also, took some pics of the bougainvilla off the back patio. Can't believe how much it's grown. Thought I had lost it to the freeze last winter, but it rebounded and just went crazy. 

IQF 2010

Yesterday I attended Houston International Quilt Festival.  As expected, it was fabulous.  So many quilts and vendors, so little get-up-and-go.  Oh, I did all right. I arrived about 11:00 a.m. and didn't leave until about 6:00 p.m.  Only sat down once for lunch at about 3:00.  Had a ball.

Didn't photograph as many quilts this year.  I took my FLIP instead, intending to take photos from the FLIP movies. The first time I was using it on some great art quilts, I was asked to delete them. I was in a "no photo" area and didn't realize it. The sign had gotten turned somehow. The docent was very nice and apologetic about it. I, of course, deleted the FLIPs. I'm sure there's some good reason for the creators not wanting them photographed, and I honor that. But it did put a bit of a damper on the experience, so I FLIPped very little. I'll share the few I did FLIP with you soon.

I must confess I spent more time in the vendor area.  I love gadgets and was on the prowl for new gadgets that I could use in creating my bags.  I ended up with some drill bits to use with bleach on jeans/denim and a squiggly ruler to cut leaves and other interesting shapes I'll be attempting for applique and the like.  I also purchased a 28mm Olfa rotary cutter, which was recommended for using the squiggly ruler. I also got a rotating cutting mat. I'd been wanting one of those for a while now.

What I didn't get that I REALLY, REALLY WANT is a new sewing/embroidery/quilting machine.  The Janome 1100 Special Edition.  Oh, my gosh it's wonderful.  And it was such a good deal, but I just couldn't swing it right now. So, I'll have to save, save, save, and maybe this time next year I will have raised enough money to get one.  It's fabulous. 

THE REAL DEAL - ST CHRISTOPHER ARTS/CRAFTS FAIR

Well, it's over.  Things went very well, I think.  Traffic was light, but that was expected.  Sales were to family and friends and a couple of newbies.  I met a lot of neat folks who had the other booths. Some I've blogged about before. I'll be sharing about them in future posts. The weather was perfect. Sunny, warm (but not hot), a bit of a breeze. We were under the oak trees, so it was quite pleasant all day.

The preteens loved Milk Money.  So I have a bit over 10% of the amount I need to buy a cow through the Episcopal Relief and Development foundation.  I can make a donation now that will be considered a share in a cow. Combined with others' donations, someone somewhere is going to get a cow and a chance to change their lives. They'll have milk to drink and can sell the extra milk to others to bring more money into the household.  Is that great or what?  I'll be sharing more about Milk Money with tutorials. I'd love to get more folks involved in this effort.  I'll tell you more very soon. I promise.

MSH helped me set up my booth. Then he helped deliver meals (barbeque) for St Christopher and then was off to watch his alma mater MSU beat UH.  A couple of our dance friends helped me break down and pack up. What a nice surprise. They came to browse the goods, but all the vendors had left or were leaving already, but they stayed to help me.  I am blessed with helpful friends.

All in all, my first outing was successful.  I think I need to find a venue that's a bit more Bohemian maybe. You know, more into the whole "maker" and "upcycle" movement and more artsy.  I think that's what I need for my Vest Totes and Tote-A-Tees.  My "regular" bags went over well for this group.  Here's some pics of  some of the bags that sold.

Dress Rehearsal

MSH is holding sign



Purses will hang on clothes racks from shower curtain rings.







In getting ready for the St Christopher Art/Craft Fair, I had a dress rehearsal. MSH and I put the canopy up in the back yard so I could decide on my set up.  I had borrowed MHSNL's canopy. We found putting it up the first time to be a bit of a challenge. But we made it. It took up the entire yard. It's 10x10. Our yard is about 12x12, not counting the flower (LOL) beds.  I used two stools and a 1x6 for one display, for the Tote-A-Tees. I used a TP stand/holder to show off the Tote-A-Treats. Risers were used to display the Vest Totes, and I used the coolest vase for the Milk Money (coin purses).  The shelf unit to the right is for my friend Robin, who will be selling jams and jellies. Here's a bunch of pics. Sorry for the extra space. Couldn't figure out how to move the pics around with new editor feature. I'm sure it's something really simple, but I'm stumped for now.

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MY FIRST ART/CRAFT FAIR

This weekend is it. My first art/craft fair for YAYAMADE.  I've been sewing like crazy. Am working on my signage now. Will do mock set-up in back yard tomorrow.  Hope everything I have in mind works. (Fingers crossed.) Here's a link about the whole weekend of Bar-B-Q, auctions, blue grass and art fair. Wahoo!  http://www.stchrischurch.org/Groups/1000024843/St_Christopher_Church/Activities/Outreach_Evangelism/Community_Outreach/BBQ/BBQ.aspx

SOOOOOO BUSY

I'm happy to say that I've haven't posted lately because I've been sooooo busy (not because I've been a slug).  Where to begin?

I've been working at the shop (St Christopher Thrift Shop, League City, TX) more lately.  My BFF and co-manager Ruth had a bad fall, so I've been filling in a bit more. That's no biggy though. No 1, because I'd do just about anything for my BFF; and No 2, I enjoy working at the shop anyway.  Donations are starting to slow a bit, but are by no means too low. Sales are picking up :), which really makes me smile :).

I've decided to rent a booth/space at our church's annual Art Fair the Saturday of our Annual BarBQ weekend - Saturday, October 9.  I admit I'm both excited and nervous. This will be my first YAYAMADE outing and my second lifetime booth experience for my wares. The first was back in the early 90s, and it didn't go well at all, which was very discouraging.  But I'm determined to try and hope for the best. At the very least, I'll be supporting the mission fund raising efforts of my church through my booth space rental fee.

So, I've been sewing, sewing, sewing like a crazy woman.  I've made several doggie treat bags and named them "Tote-A-Treat"s.  I must confess that I find making several of the same thing a bit boring -- okay, okay -- very boring, but a girl's gotta do that a girl's gotta do.  I've also been making my specialty Tote-A-Tee purses.  These are sooooooo cute. I hope they go over well.  They're pretty easy to make, and very clever, I must say. I looked on Etsy and Artfire, searching for" tshirt" or "tee shirt" and "purse" and nobody's look like mine.  I have two styles, hobo and messenger.  I've shared a couple of them here before, showing gifts I made for MBGD.

Then last night Mollie and I went to our first basic obedience class.  It was really fun and very helpful.  We of course must practice at home faithfully, but it does make a big difference (over reading and watching DVD) to have the techniques shown in real time.  There were about six or seven teams (owner/handler and dog). The instructors are really good and very kind.  Shea Top Dog in Dickinson. I highly recommend them, and that's after just one class. 

So, as you can see, I've been soooooo busy.  I'll be posting my new creations on YAYAMADE soon. So stay tuned.

Tote-A-Treat

Mollie has brought a lot of sunshine into my life. And inspiration. She is a sweet, wonderful, well-behaved dog, but -- had to be a "but.

But we have some "issues", like pulling on the leash when she sees squirrels and other dogs. Okay, okay, the squirrel thing is partly on me. I encouraged the chasing because it was so funny. But a little goes a long way. Besides there's the whole safety issue. Hers and mine.

Then there's the refusal to stop barking after I say "it's okay" or "quiet." She's a great watchdog, but wants to have the last word.

We're working on these and other issues and will soon be attending doggie school. Mainly handler school, so I can learn the proper way to train her. Now that training treats are playing a big part in our lives, I decided that I needed a bag to hold treats. Getting them out of my pocket isn't quick enough.

Introducing the Tote-A-Treat, which is of course a "green" project. It was once a scrub top. I kept the design simple. Just a bag to hold treats. The first one I made is not lined. The strap serves to stabilize the top of one side of the bag and I simply tied the snap hooks onto the strap. That makes it easily adjustable. I snap the hooks onto my belt loops. I tied the ends of the strap together so I can hang the bag with Mollie's collars and leashes.

Now I'm making Tote-A-Treat bags for YAYAMADE. These bags are lined. Here's preview pics. They're awaiting straps and/or snap hooks.

The Big 90

Almost a month since my last post. Shame on me. NOT. I've been sooooooooo busy, and then not so much. Anyway...

My Mom celebrated her 90th birthday August 26th, but we celebrated for over a week. My sister and I took her out to eat at Cheddars the evening of her birthday.

Then on the following Saturday, we threw her a surprise shindig. Notice the decor, purses and handbags. So cute. Thanks to my BFF Ruth for saving the decorating day. We had fajitas with all the fixings and of course cake and ice cream. Yum. Yum. The whole family attended except MBGD who's back at school and MHGS who had to work. There were lots of leftovers for everyone. More Yum.

This last Friday, my sister and I took Mom to the Rainforest Cafe in Galveston. Oh, Yum again. Mom finally said we could stop celebrating, a week was long enough.

Thank you, God, that I still have my Mom.

Let's Talk Thrifting

I know there are some folks out there that don't shop at thrift stores, but I can't for the life of me understand why they don't - or won't. You can find just about anything. In fact, you never know what you'll find. Some of my most fun purchases have been from thrift stores. I get a big bang for very little bucks.

Here's an example (photo). I got all of these goodies for the grand total of - drum roll, please - $5.38, and that includes the sales tax. For that pittance I bought: 1 man's sport coat, which will be used to make three, maybe four handbags, and trim others; 2 blouses, for me to wear; 1 knit top for me to wear and use as a pattern for refashioning t-shirts; 1 yard of burlap for making and trimming handbags; and 5 zippers that will be used for handbag pockets and closures. Jackpot!

More DIY

I've been working on more of my decor projects for the living room. I've recovered several pillows, each with a zipper so I can wash the cases as needed. My latest DIY was recovering a footstool, one with a lid so you can store stuff in it. I picked up two of them at a local thrift store and recovered one of them tonight. I can't say I'm particularly proud of my upholstery job. But it's now navy blue instead of soiled olive drab. And I'm now more comfortable sitting on the couch or loveseat, having a footstool to prop my tired feet on.

DIY Afters

Here's the finished projects, the sofa table and coffee table. I'm happy with the results. You can see the love seat and sofa in the background. I have slipcovers for them which are navy, white and tan stripe.

I'm currently making covers for throw pillows for the sofa and loveseat. I've done the blue florals. I have to break down and buy fabric retail (ouch) for the four bigger pillows, a navy solid, as the navy solid I have is only enough to cover three, and I want all four to match. I have a gift card that I can use for the purchase which I received for Mother's Day from one of MBDs and SNL, so my pillow covers will be extra special.

DIY Sofa Table

This is my second DIY furniture refinishing project. My first was our coffee table. I transformed it from green to wood stain to match the wood-stain top. Same thing with this project, the sofa table. I forgot to take before pics, but here's a pic of a before leg so you can see the green. I'm changing color schemes in the living room, so the green had to go.

Here's a pic of me at work doing the sanding with my new Black & Decker Mouse. I love this Mouse, also called a "detail sander". It's light weight and because of it's shape, I can get into all the nooks and crannies to sand. I used MBD's Mouse for my first project, but wanted my own as I liked using it so much and wanted to return hers. I looked at Wal-Mart, knowing they run about $34. Lo and behold I found two for - drum roll, please - $6 each. I bought both of them; one for me and one for my BFF Ruth. Since I dismantled the table, I was able to sand the pieces sitting down. Much easier on the body.

Having the fan blowing directly on me was the only way I could have done the sanding in our Texas Gulf Coast heat. It's an old Kenmore and was my dad's. He had it in his garage or workshop for as long as I can remember. It was comforting having it there, keeping me cool - well, at least not sweltering - while I did the sanding, knowing it was my dad's. I miss him. I think he'd like it that I'm DIYing.

Nesting, Mollie Style

First I have to tell you that Mollie has brought a lot of "happy" into this household. And she's a nester. Throw a towel or blanket - anything - on the floor, and it's her new bed. But she prefers "soft".

I'd shopped for doggie beds, but they're sooooooo expensive. Plus I didn't know how I'd ever wash them. Too big and bulky. I looked at pillow forms big enough for Mollie. A 24" square pillow form was like $24. I had seen some Mollie-sized pillows (two of them) at a local thrift store. Twice I saw them and didn't get them. By the time I decided that was the way to go - as I could make a pillow case that I could remove and launder - I headed back to the thrift store. I couldn't believe they were still there. I grabbed them both and headed for the checkout. They were tagged $6 each, which I considered a real bargain. The girl at the register said furniture was 1/2 off and since this was "doggie furniture", she rang them up at $3 each. Yaaaaaaaay! These are 30" pillows, by the way.

The longest zipper I had was 24". I cut two 31" squares from some fun fabric from my stash, installed the zipper and sewed up the other three sides. It took a little maneuvering to get the pillow in the form as it is quite firm, but I managed. The case is a tiny bit bigger than the pillow, which was a good thing because of the smaller zipper. I presented it to Ms. Mollie and she immediately claimed it as hers.

One down, one to go. This one will be the living room pillow. Right now it's in the living room by day, and goes in the bedroom at night. I'm looking for fabric in our bedroom colors for the other one. Can't believe I don't have some in my stash. On, no. I'll have to go thrifting!

More Decor Updates

I had to outwait the rain, so it took like a week to get the plate easels. The shelves had been up all that time waiting for the easels so I could show off my plates. I think it all looks really good.

FINALLY . . .

It's only been TWO (2) years since we had the interior painted my beautiful yellow. I couldn't make up my mind about window treatments, so I've done nothing. FINALLY, I found something I really, really liked for the kitchen/breakfast nook. They are actually upcycled, which follows my philosophy of recycling. They were valances that I bought at the Thrift Shop. I liked them a lot, but wasn't sure I could convert them. So I waited and waited and finally my friend Ruth convinced me that I could do it. You see, they were mounted on 1x2s, stapled. I had to take them off the 1x2s and add casings so I could hang them on rods. It was quite a task, but they turned out very nice. I'm very happy with them. The color and design (plaid) were exactly what I wanted, though I didn't know it until I saw them (know what I mean?). And since I was so slow to make the final decision to get them, they were on clearance when I did get them - HALF PRICE. So for $5.50, I have these lovely valances (fully lined). They're perfect. Now I'm ready to accent with blue and white dishes on little shelves and to hang directly on the walls. All I need now are plate hangers and plate stands. Looks like I'll be making a trip to Hobby Lobby real soon. Then the Kitchen/Nook will be complete. Well, not quite. I'm still looking for the perfect chairs for the Nook. BUT I have another valance that cost me a whopping $3 that I'm saving to make chair cushions out of. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Busy Busy Busy

Oh, what a busy past few weeks I've had. Busy getting ready for vacation. Going on vacation - to Arizona - to visit family.

And now - adoption of a new family member: Mollie Mouse, a sweet dog. I found her online and fell in love with her. I emailed PAWS (Pineywood Animal Welfare Society) and received an email from her foster mom with more info. I knew she was meant to be my new baby. I filled out the paperwork while on vacation and picked her up 2 days after my return home from Arizona. She is such a good dog. Well-behaved, housebroken, crate trained, funny, sweet. Her only faults: pulls too hard on lead when we go for a walk and barking at "intruders" or who she thinks might be an intruder. We've got the pulling under control with a training harness. She still pulls a bit, but nothing like before. The barking. Well, I'm at a loss there. We'll figure it out.

Progress

Ran/walked again today. That's 3 times this week so far. This time I did the 2 miles, doing a 3/2 run/walk both ways. The plan: Tomorrow 3 miles.

As far as songwriting, progress there as well. I'll not be able to meet with my new friend who also writes plays and music as she'll be going out of town, and then I go on vacation, and who knows when we can get together. But she made some wonderful suggestions on how I can proceed and I've been on the internet tracking down things she mentioned. I am much encouraged. I'm looking to learn piano and taking a creative writing course.

"Just do it," someone said. OK, I will. Stay tuned.

On the Creative Side of Things

I haven't been creating through sewing lately. I've cut out a Tote-a-Tee purse, but not the lining. I've been concentrating on my other creative interest, song writing. Yes, I write songs. Mostly Christian songs, but I have some others too. What's so interesting - well, hysterical really - is that I have almost no musical skills with which to do this. I don't play piano. I don't play guitar. I can barely read music, as I played clarinet in high school, but remember so little about it. It's just in my head, all this wonderful music and lyrics; and of course I sing them. But I'm learning more about it each day. And I'm finding people, wonderful people, who are willing to help me. God has a plan. I'm going to stretch beyond my comfort zone to see where he wants to lead me in all this. Yaaaaaay!

Running Again

Well, after walk-running for the first time in months on 4/29, I didn't walk/run again until yesterday. And then again today. So, I'm beginning to get back on track (excuse the pun). I discovered - rediscovered really - that slow and steady is my pace. Now, I know that even when I go faster than I should, it's still pretty darn slow, but if I slow down to my comfortable slow pace, I can go farther and feel better in the process. So there. I'm currently just doing 2 miles, walking the first mile and run/walking back. My run/walk is a 3/2, meaning I run 3 minutes and walk 2 minutes; so, 3/2 intervals. Two days this week so far. I'm happy with that.

Whoa!

January 18th, 2010. That's the last time I posted. Right after completing the Houston Aramco Half Marathon (walked it). Whoa!

I must confess I hadn't walked/run since then, until today. Well, I take that back. I did 1 mile on January 19th. Wahoo! No, I haven't been a total slug. I've been really, really busy. I took on the job of co-manager of our church's thrift shop. Actually it is run by the women of our church (all volunteers; some are men), in League City, TX. St Christopher Thrift Shop. We've been working really hard to make it more and more fabulous. And we're succeeding. It is "boutiquey". Such a cute little shop. I'll post pictures, maybe even a video soon.

Sad to say I haven't been sewing much. I did make myself a big, fun purse out of MHGS's old hoodie. I put lots of pockets in it. It is so NOT attractive, but it is very great. (Yes, I know that's not grammatically correct.) But I really, really like it and carry it almost always. I also made 50 little clutches for our annual retreat (Women of St Christopher Retreat). It was our 20th year, so our theme was Roaring Twenties -- Dancin', Prancin' & Praisin'. And the clutches are actually God's pockets, where you stash your prayers and concerns. I made them out of several different fabrics and the ladies decorated them to their liking with trims and the like. The skit this year at Retreat (I write them, changing words to songs from well-known musicals to make them spiritual) was a bit different. I had original songs (thank you Holy Spirit) and lyrics. Quite good, I must say. I hope to get them orchestrated, as I can envision this one (skit) done on a grander scale (more than 5 actresses). Funny, that God gives me such fabulous music -- I do not have the musical skills to do it, but somehow I do. I don't play guitar or piano or anything (clarinet in high school, but no memory of most of that). I guess HE wants me to collaborate with others who are "musical." Yaaaay!

I have some things in mind to work on in the studio, but just don't seem to make the time. I have trouble with "balance." Seem to be able to focus on only one thing at a time. Two at the most. And my house is a mess. The living room is full of Retreat stuff, costumes and the like. Oh, for a little elf to do it all for me so I can get back to sewing.

Wow, I really got carried away. Yaaay! Let's see if I can keep it up.

Oh, yeah. I've been using my FLIP (Christmas gift from MBD and family) quite a bit. I LOVE IT! I'll post some videos of interesting stuff. Plus I can make photos from them. It's lighter weight than my camera and soooooo easy to use. I carry it with me all the time. Never know when I'll need it. And it fits nicely into one of the many pockets in my new "very great" purse.

L&HAA

Half on the Half

Completed the Houston Aramco Half Marathon yesterday, Jan 17. That's 13.1 miles. It was fun -- before and after was fun -- as I got to spend time with MBD and her BFF, and then with all my kids and HH for lunch afterwards. Can you say SORE. Very, very sore. I didn't train like I should have; so, I am thankful to God for allowing me to complete 13.1 miles, all in one piece.

The thing I struggle with is the half empty/half full thing. I'm afraid I see the half empty part of it mostly. Like, 3:24:45, soooo slooooow. I had to walk most of it. My runner's byline is "They time me with Carbon14". But to show you what I mean:

Half empty: finished in bottom 4%

Half full: 599 finished after me

Half empty: bottom 8% of all female finishers

Half full: 465 finished after me

Half empty: Females, age 60-64, bottom 35%

Half full: 36 finished after me

Brimming: Houston has 2+million residents. I figure I'm in the top .25%, at least, figuring the other 99.75% didn't even participate.

I finished. Yaaay! And today, I can even walk without limping!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Now that Christmas gift exchange is past, I can share what I was working on so hard. It was an Apron Christmas this year. I made aprons for almost everyone in my family. I have pics of a few of them, but not all. I'm hoping they'll wear them and take pics and send to me. I was so busy making them, that I didn't take the time to take photos before wrapping. Here's MBD and MHSNL modeling their aprons. His was made from a pair of MHGS old jeans. Had to do a lot of piecing to get it big enough as MHGS' jeans were skinny, skinny, skinny. Hers shows chili peppers and free-hand machine embroidery "Chili Out". They can enjoy wearing them in their newly remodeled kitchen.

I also made bags for MBGD and my mom. I made ToteATee's for MBGD and a huge bag for my mom with expanding pockets so she can pack 8 pairs of shoes in it when she goes to visit my cousin. Here's the ToteATee's. The Texas one is a messenger bag.