Its a good thing I didn't put up that tree!

These bags of straw are all that is left of the insulation that is keeping the kitchen warm. The rest of the wood chips were removed. The upper two feet of the exterior walls were insulated by empty bags of plaster the old owner used to build the walls. In some areas, that was all that attempting to keep the cold out - or nothing at all.

Here is the hubby hard at work. The walls and ceiling were a layer of drywall with a thick coat of plaster over top. At least there wasn't any plaster and lath.

This was me trapped in the basement by the temporary platform Mr. Hunter built to put his latter on to continue demoing the ceiling and removal of the old light fixture.

I had to squeeze myself out of this hole - it sucked. Dumb dog tried to lick my face.

Here I am standing on the platform.

Here is Mr. Hunter coming up from the basement.

Demo Demo Demo

Great decorating - love what you've done with the place! Wow I wouldn't change a thing.. ... ... that better be what the end results are. HA HA HA

The kitchen went from gutted to worse. Good think I didn't put up that tree huh?

Cheers,

Carolyn

I have no kitchen!!

Not sure what kind of Christmas I will be having. Its a little hard to make Christmas supper when your kitchen looks like this.

Nice isn't it? It may be a good corner for the tree. What do you think?

Cheers,

Carolyn

A Day in the life of - just where have you been? Part 8

I finished my Christmas table runner - with metallic thread!! YEAH, I like shiny things!!

Do you like metallic threads?
Cheers,
Carolyn

A Day in the life of - just where have you been? Part 7

I've been reading.

I am on the very last Fever book by Karen Marie Moning. OH my these books are addicting. There are so many things going on, I am just as confused as the lead character of the book, but loving every word of it!
I also read the Deborah Harkness book, A Discovery of Witches. I really enjoyed this one to and was very sad when I got to the end and discovered it was a brand new book and no, the next one in the series is not available - its not even published yet! 
That is the problem with me getting books from the online Library ap (which I LOVE!!), I do not always know when I am getting a brand new or old book. I liked the title - I did not even look at the release date. Its not like when you go to the book store and all the new books are lined up like peacocks, showing off their beautiful feather covers - asking you to read them. Ah such beautiful books.. ... This house does not have room for book cabinets - not anywhere! So its the library for me and that suits me fine. 
Have you finished the Karen Marie Moning Fever series? Did you love it? Hate it? DON'T TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS. I have 300 pages left and I want to revel every word. 
What are you reading right now?
Cheers,
Carolyn

A Day in the life of - just where have you been? Part 6

I mentioned yesterday about DDB Share - where we made (at my workplace) something to auction off to raise money for a local charity. My friend and colleague had a cool idea, but did not know how to execute it so she enlisted my help. She wanted to attach a vintage reproduction barbie head to a vintage fur collar. At first she mentioned attaching it as a cameo, I told her we could hack the barbie head in half to get that profile look - no she did not want to wreck her hair. So then we discussed dangling it - but I disliked that idea. 
Here is my process and the finished project. It raised a decent amount of money to. 

 I did not cut her head in half, but with Mr Hunters pliers, I shoved four needles through her head. I used doubled over thread and threaded a needle on each end x 2 hence the 4 needles. Once I got the four needles through her head, I pulled them as tight as I could and then knotted the threads on the back.

The bead was tricky, I had to squeeze her head to get the needle through without poking her face. I ended up having to take three threads doubled over in one needle to get the strength to not break. I bent a needle - but I really like the finished look of this fabulous bead.

Next came the pearls and the sunglasses. 

I do not have a picture of how I finished the inside - it was beautiful. I took a black ribbon my friend bought and hand stitched it onto the back to cover all the knots. Because of the curve of the collar, I had to pleat the ribbon. I was amazed at how good the back turned out. The front was cool and different, but the ribbon was beautiful and elegant. 
All and all, I had a blast making this for my friend. 
What do you think of it? Scary? Cool? Crazy?? I can tell you this - it raised a heck of a lot more money then my iPad cover! In fact, all of the crazy out there things are what brought in the dough. 
Cheers,
Carolyn

A Day in the life of - just where have you been? Part 5

I made another iPad cover. I made it to donate to a function we had at work called DDB Share. We all made something to be auctioned off in a silent auction. We donated all money raised to a local charity called the Hope Mission which helps people in need of food, a place to sleep and more. It felt good to donate to a great cause. I just wish I had something bigger completed to donate. Next year! 
My friend Anna donated a bracelet she made - I do not have a picture of it though. 
Long story short - I made another cover to donate - but I used a poly batting to give it more poof. I wanted the cushy look and extra cushion for protection, but it made my sewing lines crazy! So I donated the one I made for myself since it was perfect (HA HA HA - OK it was really good for me), and kept this one for myself. 

It was better before I washed it - and I would not have washed it, but I used the Frixion pens and the white lines it leaves when you iron have to be washed out. No biggie on a quilt - but I was not thinking for this project. Live and learn!
Cheers,
Carolyn

A Day in the life of - just where have you been? Part 4

I moved my sewing room furniture around.

 Do you see Lucky's beddy under the ironing station? He likes it. In fact he is there right now while I sit in my pink chair writing this post. 

Not too bad for all old furniture. I took the IKEA table we bought 4 years ago for our small apartment before we bought the house - Mr Hunter took off the top and cut me that piece of plywood. I sanded it until my arms were numb! It was pretty rough, but I smoothed out the surface of the top and bottom. Then Mr. Hunter screwed it on the base for me. Works great as my cutting station. He made me that fabulous base that all my rulers are standing up in on the table. He actually made me two. I sorta cracked the first one when I put it in the table vice to sand it. Total bummer to as I had sanded every side but one - then I over tightened the vice and heard a loud crack. Then I swore like a trucker - finished the sanding and said I would live with it. Mr Hunter saw it and made me another one when I was out and surprised me with it when I got home. 
He is a keeper =)
Has you hubby ever surprised you with a little something just to be sweet?
Cheers,
Carolyn

A Day in the life of - just where have you been? Part 3

I recovered my ironing board.. ... I kinda melted the old cover. hee hee hee. OK, I did not melt the old cover - but it disintegrated from the heat - then I did melt the batting that was under that fabric - making a disgusting mess on the iron that my iron cleaner could not remove. I had to scrape it off!! Don't tell Mr. Hunter, he will poop a canary if he finds out! 

What do you think of my new cover?
Cheers,
Carolyn

A Day in the life of - just where have you been? Part 2

I went to a bead show with my friend Anna and there was this amazing mosaic artist there. Her name is Carolyn as well! Not sure where I put her card.. .. but here is what I just had to have of hers.

Sorry for the bad angle on this picture. The pot lights in my sewing room create horrible shadows so all my pictures look like kakaw.
Its nice though huh? I love the green and the tile is fabulous. Carolyn told me she bought it from a vendor in Mexico! AWESOME! I have no idea as to where to hang it. I cannot wait till this house is done and I could safely chose a wall! HA, someday.
Do you like Day of the Dead themed items? Do you have any great finds you bought someplace warm and fabulous like Mexico?
Cheers,
Carolyn

A Day in the life of - just where have you been? Part 1

Holy Molly! I have not posted in almost an entire month. Wow. Mr Hunter said to me, "I bet you could not live without your computer and all your blogging". I said "I could to"!, I then out of sheer stubbornness stopped blogging for a week, then I thought what's one more day, then it was a hmm but where do I start, what did I even blog about? 
Now its a holy crap, you best get something up on your blog or you may never blog again! 
So here it is, the next few posts will be the highlights of what I have done since I stopped posting. 
So to start, I made these two bee blocks which should have both reached their destinations a week or so ago.
For the Orange you glad bee:

For the Let's bee together bee:

The block was exactly 12.5 inches thanks to this fabulous triangles on a roll paper!
Have you ever used this triangle paper? What did you think of it? 
Cheers,
Carolyn

Baby Quilt Finish

I cannot believe I did not take more pictures of this project! I normally take too many pictures, and this time I only have a couple of the finish. I was commissioned to make a baby quilt for my best friend to give to another one of her friends whom had a baby girl. I was told the desired colors were antique white, pink, brown and avocado green. The friends house was designed traditional with white walls so the colors could not be too bold - there ruled out my stash! 
So off to the fabric store I went in search for what I could make this baby quilt from. 
All I can show you is the finish and tell you that my friend was very pleased with it.

 I wish I had a better picture to show, you can barely make out the squares. I have already given it to my friend so there is no getting more.

 I did four different traditional blocks and laid out the pattern to have them run on a diagonal.

This care label was hand stitched and attached at the binding stage. I used a bounce sheet  to  back the label and adhered it with Wonder Under, then the binding stitches finished it off. 

Have you ever made a project and sent it away only to realize you didn't get a picture?
Cheers,
Carolyn

Frixion Pen Update

Here is the update to the Frixion Pen Review I posted last week. The table runner is done, washed and dried - here are the results.

The white lines the pen had left on the dark fabric after ironing are 100% gone.

Here is my finish.

And here is the back.

I free motioned all of the lines, even the straight ones around the diamonds. If you pick up these pens and are still worried about how they will effect the fabric, just take a two inch square, fold over a 1/4 inch seam, stitch it. Then mark it up with the different colors of pen if you bought the package, or the one color you got, then iron it. Next load of laundry - through it in and there is your test. Have fun!
Cheers,
Carolyn