It was June 2007. Bug wasn't quite a year old that day. It was the first time she was spending the night at Aunt Joan's. My hubby and I had planned to go out on a date, and maybe even for a movie. But it is not what happened that evening.
I had a bag of mulch that I wanted to spread in one of our flowerbeds and I convinced my hubby we should take care of it before heading to the restaurant. Unfortunately, a bee colony had taken residence in that flower bed. Both my hubby and I got stung a few times by and angry swarm. No big deal.. just a sting or two was not going to prevent us from going out, right??
Within a few minutes it was clear we were indeed still going out... but to the ER and ended up spending most of the evening there. As it turns out, I'm extremely allergic to bee stings. Since that June day, from the end of march to the first frost, I carry an Epipen with me everywhere... just in case.
Lately one of my co-workers and myself have been walking during our lunch break. And of course the Epipen has to come along. It's not exactly convenient to put in a pocket but carrying a purse for a power walk is not ideal.
This is my solution: A see-through sleeve that I can carry around my neck
I used some vinyl , grey corduroy and made bias tape out of grey fabric, all from my stash
In the back I added a small pocket with velcro closure to put anti-histamine pills
There is my emergency kit.
I hope I will never need it again but I feel more relaxed going out being prepared for the worst.
Another long overdue project finally completed thanks to Stabusting September: I've had this grey fabric in my stash for almost a year. It was time to make a skirt that Bug could wear at school when it gets cooler. It is already getting that way. Another little corduroy in a mousy grey that I girlified with a colorful ruffle. 
Another long overdue project: I've been needing a lanyard for quite sometime now. Those supplied by our facilities department are let's face it pretty basic and ugly and were driving me up the walls, especially after I noticed how several of my shirts developed holes where the metallic parts kept rubbing on the fabric. I recently lost quite a bit of weight and had to buy new shirts. It was time to take action! No more holes!
My friend Angela just made a big move: she bought her first house!! She is very excited about getting it furnished and turned into her ideal nesting spot. I made a pair of throw pillow covers to go on her fancy new couch. Since Angela prefers neutral colors and solids I figured something with an interesting texture would be better than my usual color explosions. 
Bug has started talking about Hallowen. A LOT. Everyday, she has been telling me it's tomorrow. And everyday I have to explain again that there is still a while to go. But hey, we can start decorating right ?
In this project, all my favorite things: denim, a cute purse, upcycling, awesome fabrics and even beads! It's no secret, I love making purses and I looove a challenge. A couple of months ago, one of my friends sent me a few ripped jeans done in by her children after I ran out of old jeans. The first transformation was the twirl skirt for Bug. This is the second pair, which had been cropped just below the knee before landing in my stash, so there was no extra to work with. 
After a long break over the summer, Amie (Kitty Cats and Airplanes) finally met again for a long overdue crafty afternoon. On the menu: Fall wreaths. Amie had bought a great wreath at one of our Goodwill expeditions but somehow it stayed at her place so the first thing we did was to run to Home Depot to grab a couple of pieces of pipe insulation to make a low-cost support. Not perfect but it does the job.
