What's Up?

I missed posting yesterday.  So, here's an update of my weekend and what's up.

My sweet Penelope went in for surgery this morning.  I'm trying hard not to worry about my sweet girl.  I found a lump where her microchip normally is.  I Googled to see if tissue can grow around microchips or if they can cause tumors.  I was shocked to see that tons of stuff came up about microchips causing cancer and lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies that manufacture them.  YIKES!  I took her in to have it checked yesterday.  The good news is that the lump doesn't seem to be attached and can be moved around.  And, her lymph nodes seemed to be fine.  They're going to remove the lump today and send it in for testing.

Poor baby was so scared this morning.  It was so hard to take her in for this but it seems to be the right thing to do.  I don't want to wait and take a chance of it being bad and spreading to the point of not being able to do anything.  I love this girl SO much!  She's the sweetest and most loving kitty we've ever had.  She's so attached to me and wants to be with me almost constantly.  She comes to me often for snuggles and looks at me with ooey, gooey, loving, eyes and always has lots of kisses for me.  Fingers crossed she'll be just fine!

I snapped this pic over the weekend of her enjoying the morning sun.  Looks like she's meditating.

I bought a crock over the weekend that I'd had my eye on at my favorite antique shop.  They were having a sale, it was still there, and I got it for less.  Woot!  I put my antique rolling pins in it.  I love the rich color of it.

Hubby and I went to Oceanside for a bike ride on Sunday.  It was a cool, cloudy day with temps in the mid to high 60's.  Ahhhh!...a nice break from the heat wave we had for a few days at home.

These gorgeous Matilija Poppies were growing near where we parked.  The bushes were about five feet high and loaded with these beauties!

Our garden has some veggie babies!  Yay!  I snapped a few pics this morning.

A volunteer butternut plant seems to be doing well...

More tomatoes!  I'm so excited for these tasty treats!

Zucchini...

We have an eggplant blossom!  :-D

I plan to stay busy crafting and working around the house today to stay really busy and keep my mind from worrying about my sweet Penelope.  I get to pick her up sometime this afternoon.

Oops! I did it again!

Oops!  I spent more money!  But, I couldn't help myself!  I know...I shouldn't have walked into that Sport Chalet store.  Especially since I've already been to their big clearance sale a few times already.  But, obviously, I hadn't looked through everything because I missed this the first few times...

It's a lightweight sleeping bag for backpacking for over 50% off!  It's rated down to 20'f and it only weighs two pounds, seven ounces.  That's almost a pound lighter than the lightest one I could find on their regular rack of bags!  That will make a big difference!  We looked up customer reviews and everyone raved about it.  It's made for women so it fits better and isn't as long.  I also like that it's colorful and cute and that it's super comfy.

I got a backpack last spring at REI when we spent our dividend.  That means it was FREE!  REI is a store that you can join.  As a member, you get discounts and at the end of the year you get a percentage back on everything you buy.  Plus, we have an REI credit card and we use it on as much as we can....bills, groceries, gas, etc.....things that are in our budget....and pay it off every month.  At the end of the year a percentage of everything we spent on it is included in our REI dividend.  That means we have hundreds of dollars every year to spend on things at REI or ask for a check.  How cool is that?!

We love that store!  It's filled with LOTS of awesome stuff for the outdoor adventure enthusiast.  Everything from gear and equipment to cool clothing and shoes!  We love dividend time because it means we get to go into the store and walk out with big bags of "toys" without paying a dime.  Like my cool backpack.  It's made for women and even came with an flower!  :-)

I'm getting close to having everything I need to go backpacking.  We have just a few more things to get.  We should be able to start backpacking this spring!  I'm so excited!  Well, except for the bears and stuff!  Eeek!  lol

I love all the clearance and sale luck I've been having lately but I really need to stop walking into stores for a while!  lol

Bargain Bonanza

I'm so excited about all the bargains I've found lately!  I'm a budget shopper that's very tight with my money.  That makes shopping a bigger job than it already is.  But, it also makes it like a treasure hunt.  When I find a bargain on something I need or want it's like a win!  I've had a lot of wins lately.  So much so that I just have to tell about my finds!

My most recent one was today at Michael's.  I went into the store to look for a picture frame but also wandered through all the sale and clearance areas I could find.  It's a good thing I did!  I found four skeins of a kind of yarn I like and in a color I love.  They're all the same dye lot.  And, they were marked down from $4.99 to $1.99.  I have no idea why these four were marked down because they still have this same exact yarn and color in the yarn area at full price.  I'm not going to say anything!  I'm just happy to find it.  I wanted this yarn, in this color, for a project I've been thinking of.   Woot!  Score!

You may have already read about my new red shoes on a recent blog post.  I got Keen brand shoes that are normally close to $100 for just $24.99  I've also scored on clothes lately...something I have a hard time finding no matter what the price.  I found a super cute long dress at Kohl's for just $13 that originally was $80!  I've found some great tops at TJ Maxx that the MSRP was about $50 but I only paid $9.99 and $16.99.  I got a great pair of exercise pants/tights that were $78 for just $16.99 there too.  Then, last week at Sport Chalet there was a sale that reduced clearance items an additional 70%!  My daughter and I searched through everything and we both scored!  I found a Prana dress that I'd looked at about a month ago but wasn't about to pay $65 for (marked down from $80).  Last week I got it for $17!  I'm so excited!  I've been searching for a dress like it to wear with my tall black boots and tights.  Now, we just need some colder weather!  Although, I'm not complaining about the high 70's and low 80's we're experiencing this week.  It is quite nice!  Ok...back to the deals...  My daughter got a great pair of red skinny jeans at Sport Chalet that were normally $60 for just $9!  Then, I took hubby back and he got a Pearl Izumi wind breaker that he'd actually been looking at for months online and elsewhere.  It's a jacket and vest in one and will work great for bike riding, hiking, etc.  It was originally $120 but he got it for $32!  Oh....and, we went to the Five Ten outlet to find climbing shoes and not only did my husband find a great deal on those....$100 shoes marked down to $30....but he also found a great pair of casual shoes marked down from about $70 to $32!

I can't believe all the deals we've found in the past month or so!  Happy dance!

Oh...and one more.  This is little but fun!  On one of my recent trips through TJ Maxx I found this cute little sign for just $4.99.  I love it!  I later found the same sign at another store for $10.

Oh...I just remembered a couple more deals.  I got some coupons last month for my birthday.  One was $10 to use at Kohl's.  I couldn't find anything except some cute kitchen towels.  So, I left the store and planned to go back another day to look.  Well, when I did, the towels I'd found were on a sale of buy one set and get another for $1.  So, I got four great little towels for just $5 (after the coupon).  I got a $15 coupon for Loft.  I had a hard time finding anything I really wanted but in the end found two cute knitted skirts on the clearance rack (one for me and one for my daughter) and a set of hair accessories for my daughter and only spent about $1.  Woot!

I normally hate shopping because I have such a hard time finding what I'm looking for and the prices I want to pay.  I would love it if I could find deals like this more often.  But, then again, my bank account might not be so happy.  ;-)

My New Red Shoes

I've needed a new pair of casual shoes for a while now but haven't found any I love.  I got lucky last week at REI!  Not only did I find some I love and in my size but they were also on the clearance rack for just $24.99!  What a deal I got since they're normally closer to $100!  

They're a pair of "Burnt Henna" colored Keens.  I love the color and they're super comfy!

I have a thing for red shoes.  I think they're so fun and so cute!  And, years ago, when my daughter was little, I found this little Golden Book called, "Bunny's New Shoes".  The little bunny ends up with a pair of red shoes and it makes her so happy that she dances around with joy.  That's exactly how I feel about my new shoes.  I've been giddy with excitement over them.  My daughter giggles and shakes her head every time I bounce around with excitement, saying that I love my red shoes!

I got a brown pair of Keens years ago and they were awesome!  They were comfy and lasted and lasted....at least six years.  Hubby has had the same luck with this brand.  They're amazing!  Yay for my new, discount, RED shoes!  Eeeeeee!  :-D

Rummage Sale Bargains

There's a rummage sale at my parent's church the first weekend of every November.  I try to go to it every year.  There have been times that I've found some great stuff like a quilt rack to work on a quilt with (big), bobbin winders, an umbrella swift, iron skillets and what I posted about HERE.  There have been other times that I walked out with absolutely nothing.  I didn't find anything spectacular this year but I did find some useful and fun things.  And, I only spent $3.95!

I started out by finding some little bags of stuff and decided to grab this cute little basket to hold it all in.  It was only .25c.  Then, I outgrew my basket.

I found a set of weights to hold patterns down.  Supposedly, with these, pinning the pattern down is not necessary.  I've heard of something like this and I'm excited to try it.  The package has never been opened.  So, set is like new!  I also found a pair of scissors that say "WISS" (as far as I can tell...it's faint and they're a little worn and grungy).  They're heavy duty, feel like quality, and I think that's a good brand (?).  I'll take them to the knife sharpener guy at the farmers market and have them spiffed up.  I've been wanting another nice pair of scissors.

I got a bag full of zippers...15!

Snaps and hooks...

About five yards of beautiful, red, velvet ribbon...still on the cardboard spool from the store.

Three bags of trims, seam binding, blanket binding, lace, etc.

Most of the packages have never been opened.

I love finding stuff like that.  It comes in useful and has even prevented runs to the store in the middle of some projects.  However, I now have so much that my trim jar is full and won't hold any more.  

It was fun calling my daughter to tell her about all the stuff I'd gotten.  She couldn't believe that I spent less than $4 for all of it!  I can't either!  I love bargains!

Lovely Find

There are a few local antique shops that I like to pop into regularly.  It's always fun to look around to see what's new.  I found something on my last visit that just HAD to come home with me.

It a carved piece from the top of a french armoire.  I think it's made of oak.  The owner knows the person who brought it here from France.  She loves it but has so much stuff that she decided it was time for this lovely piece to find a new home.  

I love it!  I brought it home and placed it above a door in my craft studio.  

I adore the delicate roses on it.  The leaves and ribbon are beautiful too.

I have no idea how old it is but it's obvious that it was handcarved.

I'm just giddy over this find!  It's so pretty!

It was inexpensive too!  I love that!  

A Week on Instagram

I thought it would be fun to post my most recent Instagram photos today.

So, here it goes...

One of my favorite antique shops, Cottage Charm, has a monthly event called,

"Vintage Market".  It's always on the first Saturday of the month.  So, that means today was the day!

I headed down to see what I could find.  I'm sure glad I did!

I found this at a little shop next door...an inkle loom for just $15!

I've been wanting one for a while but didn't want to pay $60-$100 to buy one.

Now, to learn how to use it!  I'm so excited!

(Ooops on the pink background!  I didn't realize I'd done that until I loaded it on here.)

One of the outside vendors had this old oil heater.  I've been wanting one of these for years

but I haven't wanted to pay the prices that are usually on them of around $100.

I was surprised and happy when they said this one was only $20!

The color is perfect for my house.  And, there are no dents on it.  

I like the flower shaped cutouts on it.  So cute!

I created a new version of "egg salad" this week.  

It's gluten free waffles, arugula/rocket, eggs, and salsa.  Yum!

I take so many pictures of my adorable Penelope.

I can't help it...she's so darn cute!

Here, she's waiting near my pillow for me to go to bed.

She likes to sleep up against me most every night.

 A little bit of silliness one evening on her felted bed.

Trying to wake up after sleeping allllll day!

She loves to hang out on the top of her kitty tree that's by the window.

It's warm in the sun and has a great view of the birds in the yard.

Lazy and adorable!

She likes to play in the bathroom sink.  

And, now, she seems to like laying in it.

I'm continuing to work on de-stashing my yarn.

I bought this yarn in Sedona a couple of years ago.  I love it so much and have been 

trying to find the "perfect" pattern for it.  I thought I might have found it but

I'm not quite sure I love it now that it's started.  It's a cowl.  I like the texture and the

pattern but I wonder if it will block out enough to show the pattern. Hmmmm?

We found little eggplants at the market and tried a new way of cooking them.

I drizzled olive oil on them; sprinkled them with salt and pepper; and roasted them in the oven until they were tender.  Then, I sliced them in quarters from the stem down so they could grab onto the sauce.  We dipped them in some homemade marinara.  They were so creamy and yummy!  

We ate them all!

Three X's in the sky!

I love Instagram!  I can't wait to see what pops up to post on there this week!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Wardrobe Enhancement

I love jeans!  They're my favorite part of my wardrobe!  I wear them in the winter with pull-over sweaters.  And, I wear them or denim shorts in the summer with short sleeved tops.  I have started wearing some skirts in the summer.  But, I've been trying to stretch beyond that and add some new things and more style to my wardrobe.  I've been watching episodes of "What Not to Wear" and learning a lot.  I love that show!  One of the biggest things I've taken from that show is to try things I wouldn't normally try.  

My daughter and I played around with that idea a few weeks ago.  We went to Macy's and picked clothes for each other.  We tried to think outside of what the other would normally wear.  We got a big dressing room and put together outfits for one another.  We had a ton of fun and found some styles we really liked that we never would have considered before.  Unfortunately, we didn't find anything we HAD to have that day and most of the things we liked were not on sale and were beyond our budget.  But, we'll definitely be shopping differently after that.

We were on a mission that weekend to find some things.  One thing I've been looking for is a nice, thick, warm sweater.  They're all so thin these days and I hadn't found any I liked until I found this...

I think Penelope likes it too!  My daughter fell in love and bought one for herself too.

It's thick, warm, comfy and I love the neutral colors, the designs and the style.
It's not a standard cardigan...it's much more up to date, stylish and fun.

It looks great with another find from that weekend.  Boots!

My daughter and I scored on these all leather boots!  She got brown ones and I got black.

They're flat, comfy, and I like the buckle details on them (top and at the ankle).

They look great with my black skinny jeans, a rust colored top, and my new sweater.

On a really cold night, it looks good with one of my chunky hand knit cowls too.

I also bought a pair of tan pants/jeans...a color I never would have gotten in the past.

I like colored pants on other people but always felt weird when I put them on.

After our little "What Not to Wear" experiment, I think I've changed my mind.
I even considered some red ones but they didn't have my size.

I'm on the lookout for some skirts and dresses that I can wear with tights and my new boots.

It's a look I've liked for a long time.  I'm determined now to find it and be brave enough to wear it.

This isn't much but clothes shopping is hard.  Especially with a tight budget.

But, another thing I learned from the show is that to look good you have to put in the effort/work.

It's not terrible that it takes so much time...it's just part of the process.

Knowing that makes it less frustrating and a lot more fun!

Dress Form Makeover

I did it!  I recovered my dress form!

I've been putting it off because I knew it would be a difficult.

It turned out to be one of the most challenging sewing projects I've ever done.

I found her at a thrift shop a few years ago.

I was so excited to find it but not so excited about the purple color.

I wanted to use it for photographing my hand knit and crochet items.

But, purple doesn't go with most of them.

The Acme label is fun...

But, the purple had to go!

I started creating a pattern with tissue paper, pins, tape and a pencil.

Next, I used used the tissue as a pattern for some white muslin.

I roughly cut it out and pinned it onto the dress form.

I made more adjustments, sewed sections together and tweaked until it worked.

Then, I trimmed the muslin pieces (with seam allowances) and un-stitched them to use as a pattern

for the fabric I wanted to use for recovering.  I still had to do a lot of tweaking to get it just right.

I did a LOT of sewing and seam ripping!  When I got all the pieces sewn together and just right

(with one side left open), I slipped it on the dress form, smoothed, stretched and pinned the final

seam together.  Luckily, I was tired that night and left it until the next day.  That created a crease where it was pinned and I was able to take it off the next day to fold it over and press it into place.

I put it back onto the dress form and that folded edge made it much easier to hand stitch together.  

Lastly, I made gathered fabric flowers to fill in the armholes.

Ta da!

I think the total cost to re-cover her was about $6!

 I imagined the flowers and ruffles from the beginning.

I absolutely love how it turned out.  So frilly and pretty!

 I'm excited to have a neutral dress form to use for photographing my future projects.

She's very pretty to look at too!   :-)