Chat

I’ve been thinking about Inspiration a lot lately. Especially as it gets closer to the holidays. There’s inspiration everywhere you turn in blogland and I know it will only intensify as Christmas approaches. A few links I enjoyed today:

• Old School Acres is making yoyos. I know they’ve been around but I never get tired of them and I haven’t had a chance to make any yet.
• Sarah pointed out an old how-to link for making bottle brush trees in different colors. Very cool.
• And Karen Russell was just extra inspiring to me today. I loved what she had to say about “Lasts”.

So, in a pay-it-forward sort of way, I humbly offer my brand of inspiration:

Last night I made my Lazy Day Overnight Lasagne. It’s easy-peasy — made the day ahead and you don’t have to cook the regular lasagne noodles — they soften from the moisture in the meat sauce. After you assemble the layers, you let it cool, then refrigerate it until the next night, when you sprinkle it with lots of cheese and pop it in the oven. Here it is, right before it goes into the refrigerator:

The inspiration?

• I hope to inspire you to plan your meals to make mealtime on hectic nights much easier.
• I hope to inspire you to make homemade, aka, cook from scratch.
• I REALLY hope to inspire you to remember to put the lasagne into the refrigerator before you go to bed so it doesn’t sit out on the counter all night.

Smooth Move, ExLax!

XOXO,
Anna

Nicole, at Sister’s Choice Quilts has asked “What’s on Your Bed?” Here’s what’s on my bed:

TheEmptyNestChild is always on my bed. I normally have an off-white matelasee coverlet on my bed, but since tubby, hairy ol’ Scruff lounges on my bed, I have the backside of an old tied quilt on the bed to protect the coverlet from all his hair and general dirtiness. Currently, something outside of the window has caught Scruff’s attention, so he couldn’t be bothered to pose for you.

Anyway, I do have a real quilt under the coverlet that is probably more what Nicole had in mind. Many years ago, TheManoftheHouse, MyDadLovesMeBestSister, and Junie and I were all shopping in Shipshewana at Yoder’s. They had a big raffle quilt hanging on the wall and TheManoftheHouse really liked it. Since he actually commented on it and expressed an interest in quilting, I thought I should make one for him. The four of us had a good time carrying bolts of solid fabrics up to that quilt, trying to match the colors. It’s very Amish-looking.

Kind of makes you sick, huh? That was the idea — the colors should blend into each other a little and make you think you have blurry vision. It’s not really my kind of quilt, but he likes it and it keeps us warm.
Kim, hello Ki-i-im?! Are you out there? The Pioneer Woman has come to your rescue this week and has a post just for you on her cooking blog! She’s added a secret ingredient that should be the answer to your prayers! ;-)
XOXO,
Anna

I’ve been tagged by the lovely Jade to do the crafty meme. Go check out Jade’s fun answers to this meme, then come back here so I can put you to sleep!

1. When did you start to create and make craft?

I learned how to do most of the things I love to do when I was a little girl. Embroidery was probably first at around age 7 or 8. Then, I probably learned how to sew, knit and crochet when I was between 8 and 11 or 12. MeMum gets all the credit for my sewing skills — she has the patience of a saint!

I remember the first little article of clothing I ever made — it was a little wrap-around dress. Does anybody remember those? It was the perfect project for a beginning sewer — cut out a dress front, dress back, then two side pieces that were really more like 1/3 of a front and 1/3 of a back. Then sew the side-back to the front, the front to the back, then the back to the side-front. It made one long piece with three armholes. Then put bias binding around all the raw edges — that’s it! No set in sleeves, pockets, zippers, or anything complicated. When you put it on, you would put your left arm through the 1st armhole, your right arm through the 2nd armhole, and your left arm through the third armhole. The dress overlapped on the left arm. It’s really hard to explain but it was cute and spelled instant success for an impatient little seamstress. And was I ever impatient! There were many ripped out zippers and seams accompanied by SCA-reaming fits in the early days. Practice makes perfect though, and nowadays, ripping out is a breeze with nary a tear! I dabbled in lots of other crafy things back then too — anyone remember raffia flowers done on the little looms? Or the big tissue paper flowers that Martha has taken to the bank these days?

I also learned several things from my aunt when we would visit her. She taught my cousins and I decopage and gold leafing. And for my 14th birthday, she gave me a cake decorating set that I still use today. She taught me the basics of decorating cakes. Tole painting came when I was in college, smocking was shortly before the birth of TheFirstChild, and quilting while I was on maternity leave with TheSecondChild.

2. Why did you start creating?

I have no idea. Maybe because I was bored? Probably because I had a very talented mother and aunt who were so willing to teach me whatever I wanted to learn. We moved a lot when I was growing up, so I was the loner type of kid. My sewing machine was my friend! It’s not as dismal as it sounds — there were friends here and there, but really, I was happier when I was making something. Making new friends every few years was a lot of work — sewing was much easier! And now, the irony of it all is, that all this crafty stuff has made the best friendships possible! I have non-crafty friends, but it’s not quite the same — I think you all know just what I mean.

3. Why do you create?

I think I’m obsessed. Or maybe that’s possessed (it is that haunting time of year after all.) I really can’t imagine a life without making stuff. Sometimes I wonder what my non-crafty friends who don’t really have any hobbies do all day. And they probably wonder why I can’t stop making “that crap”! But, I really enjoy it and I can’t stop. It drives TheManoftheHouse crazy that I can’t just sit and watch TV without something in my hands. But, after almost 30 years, I think he’s finally giving up.
4. What do you create?

I make mostly clothes and bags and gifts that can be sewn. And I knit here and there and make an occasional quilt or papercraft..

5. Has this changed since you began crafting?

Nope. When I was growing up most of my time was spent sewing. I would knit and crochet and do other things, but not as much. That’s still the way it is today.

The pictures are a few Halloween things around here. I took the first picture this afternoon around 4:00. The sky was so dark and brooding, the picture doesn’t really do it justice.

Hope you’re having a good weekend!
XOXO,
Anna

Edited to add:  Oops!  I forgot to tag someone for this meme — how ’bout the first three commenters (not counting Nicollette, who has already been tagged) — so that means Lucy, Connie and Sarah!  I’m really interested to read their answers!

Warning: Long Post Ahead!
In the past several weeks, I’ve been tagged for several memes. First off, Joni gave me the You Make Me Smile Award and tagged me for the 6 facts meme.

Thanks Joni! You’re a sweetheart, and you certainly make me smile too. ALOT! In addition, Sarah Jayne tagged me for the four things meme. (And I have this nagging feeling that someone else tagged me during the New York week, but I can’t remember…so if that’s true, I’m sorry that I’ve forgotten!) I’m going to cheat a little and combine the two memes, hoping you can find 6 facts among the 4 things!

4 jobs I’ve had:

• Kentucky Fried Chicken.
• Cheeseborough Ponds Perfume Factory assembly line – I worked on the line putting atomizers in the bottles right after the perfume had been put into the bottles. Sometimes the machines would jam up and perfume would spill on the floor – my shoes, and therefore my closet, smelled great!
• And engraver in a clock repair shop.
• A test administrator giving GED and CLEP tests.

4 films I could watch over and over:

• The Full Monty
• Top Gun
• Life is Beautiful
• Milk Money

4 TV shows I watch:

• Lost
• Two and a Half Men
• Boston Legal
• Jeopardy

4 places I have lived:

• Lancaster, California
• Huntsville, Alabama
• Hanau, Germany
• Manti, Utah

4 favorite foods:

• Kim! Don’t Look! – Mashed Potatoes.
• Prime Rib.
• MeMum’s pot roast with carrots and potatoes.
• MeMum’s three layer chocolate cake.

4 favorite colors:

• Blue
• Red
• Purple
• Everything else! What would our world be without color???

4 places I’d love to be right now:

• Scotland
• England
• Wales
• Maine

4 names I love but could/would not use for my children:

• Elizabeth
• Bronwyn
• Liam
• Return – which sounds totally goofy, but it’s a family name. The story goes that my g-g-g-grandfather (Richard) asked my g-g-g-grandmother to marry him and she said no. He moved to another town, but before he left, he told her if she changed her mind, to send him a letter. Before long, he received a note with only two words: Return Richard. So, they named their firstborn Return Richard. And he named his firstborn Return Richard. And he named his firsborn Return LaVar (my grandpa.) Grandpa hated his name and didn’t pass it on. It didn’t occur to me until my boys were older, but I really wish I’d given one of them the name Return for a middle name ‘cause I love family names (and if I’d had a usable maiden name, that would have been used too.) Anyway, my boys are probably breathing a sigh of relief now!

4 people I’d love to tag with this Meme: (I’m tagging people in my Mother’s of Two Boys Club ;-). Except, off hand, I can only think of two, so I’m extending it to mother’s of three boys. If you hate meme’s, please ignore me! ;-) )

• Sharon at RedGeraniumCottage
• Karen at MyYellowFarmhouse
• Cathy at Miss Marzie
• Karen at Rohanknitter

And speaking of Rohanknitter, she tagged me for the book meme:

Hardcover or paperback, and why? Hardcover, although the book industry is certainly making some beautiful paperbacks these days.

If I were to own a book shop , I would call it…. Hmmm, it would probably be something corny like “Once Upon a Time…”

My favorite quote from a book (mention the title) is… I don’t know that I really have a “favorite” quote. But while we’re talking about books in the crafy blog world, here’s a quote that I think is funny:

Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking. – Albert Einstein

The author (alive or deceased) I would love to have lunch with would be… Wallace Stegner, Thomas Hardy, The Brontes, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Beatrix Potter, Ayn Rand…in the interest of bedtime, I think I should stop now.

If I was going to a deserted island and could only bring one book, except for the SASsurvival guide, it would be… hmmm, how hard is this one? I think it would be something big that I would like to read but think I’ll never have time – Canterbury Tales? War and Peace???

I would love someone to invent a bookish gadget that… would allow me to read in my sleep. I might actually make it through my booklist before I die!

The smell of an old book reminds me of… Hyde Brothers – the really cool used book store here in town.

If I could be the lead character in a book (mention the title), it would be… gosh, that’s hard. All the heroines I’ve loved have gone through something awful and I don’t think I’d really want that??? E.g., Tess in Tess of the D’Urbervilles. For a non-tragic choice, how ‘bout Dagny in Atlas Shrugged?

The most overestimated book of all times is… ummmm, maybe One Hundred Years of Solitude, or as I fondly call it, One Hundred Years of Hell. I also completely agree with Rohanknitter about The DaVinci Code!

I hate it when a book … again, I’ll agree with Rohanknitter – I hate it when sex scenes are thrown in and they’re not relevant to the story. I’ve had a theory for about 15 years in my book group – when we’re reading a book that has sex scenes that add nothing to the story, it’s almost always written by a man! LOL

And now to tag for the book meme — my source for all things word related, Isabelle. And I’m awarding all five of the ladies I’ve tagged with the You Make Me Smile award because they do make me smile (as do all the blogs I read) and as a reward for tagging them.
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I’ve certainly said enough for now!
XOXO,
Anna

P.S. The skeletons were the pleasant surprise I found when I went downtown this weekend. Who knew they decorated for Halloween???

{Sigh} I’ve been so busy this weekend, I haven’t even had time to read your blogs! Yesterday I mowed and then went to MyDadLovesMeBestSister’s to photograph MeMum’s quilts for a little project I have in mind. Holy Cow, I thought I was in the desert somewhere. It was HOT here this weekend — it felt like July outside and I was dripping wet out there taking pictures. Then I came home to change my shirt and my car died. At least I was at home! Today I made curtains for our admin assistant’s little girl — very glad to get that little task out of the way.

Tonight, TheManoftheHouse and I towed the car to the dealer’s. He said it was my idea to tow it there. Is he NUTS? Yeah, I said “We’ll have to tow it.” Did I mean WE would do it? No-oo. That means call a tow truck. So, when he said ok, and then made plans for us to do it, I just went with the flow. Fortunately, everything went well, unless you count all the times he yelled at me. LOL.

Several of you asked to see the booty from my visit to Clementine’s. Here ’tis:

The brown Kaffe Fassett fabric in the foreground is the print that Camilla helped me pick out for the Magoo Monkey pattern. I think it will be cute (if I ever get around to it!) Camilla actually had all three background colors of the Martha Negley cupcakes. I bought the aqua one in the spring and I had to hunt all over the internet for it. I ordered it at one place and they said they were out of it and couldn’t get anymore. I finally found it at another place and she said I got the last of her yardage. (I certainly couldn’t own a fabric shop, ’cause every time I got near the end of the bolt, I’d have to hoard it for myself.) Anyway, if you’ve been hunting that aqua cupcake fabric, Camilla’s your woman!

A week or so ago, both Lucy and Nicollette tagged me for the 8 Honest Things about yourself meme. I’ve been thinking about this all week — it’s been really hard to come up with 8 things and I’ve probably told you about some of them before:

1. I don’t like massages. I know most people love them, but I just hate them. Sometimes I wonder if maybe my skin is sensitive compared to other people or something — I just find them very annoying.
2. I love to eat outside.
3. I love camping.
4. Are you sensing a theme here? My grandfather and great-grandfather were gov’t trappers. They loved the out of doors. That must be where #2 and #3 came from.
5. I’ll always feel very sad that I never had a daughter. There better be granddaughters! LOL.
6. I need to learn how to say no to people who don’t sew. I did say no this week to people who don’t make cupcakes.
7. I looked in the mirror and guess who’s eyes were looking at me? My Grandma’s.
8. Now here’s my really honest confession: I recently had a birthday and didn’t tell you because I’m. Not. Happy. About. It. How dumb is that? Don’t you think we should be happy for every year we get?  I hope I’m over it now. LOL.

And, in honor of #8 and Junie’s recent birthday, the Quilty Peeps and I are celebrating by going to The Big Apple. We’ll be gone all week. And in a VERY IRONIC twist, we’re going to see Martha and her guest is going to be a geriatric physician. We couldn’t have planned that if we tried!

You kids be good while I’m gone.
XOXO,
Anna

P.S. I’m supposed to tag someone for the 8 things meme, but I can’t remember who’s done it. If you haven’t done it, do some soul searching and fess up! Or show us your jugs, whichever you choose!!!