My New Sewing and Embroidery Studio

I'm all moved and settled into my new house. It doesn't feel like home yet in fact, I feel like I'm living someone else's life. I can't really describe it. I still feel like a big part of me is missing, and it is. I should probably replace settled with adjusting. However, with my new house comes my new sewing space. It's a lot different than the room my husband built special for me at the other house. That room had space for everything. Nothing had to be stored elsewhere. If you want to take a look at it, you can see it HERE. 

This room is so much smaller so there is less storage. I'm taking advantage of an extra dresser in my bedroom to store supplies that I don't use all the time. 

This room has no Murphy bed to turn it into a guest room. Since it's just me I have a second bedroom that is used just for guests. My granddaughter has taken over that room for her overnights here along with the guest bathroom. I let her decorate these two rooms and they are coming along nicely with a Paris theme.

My previous room had my desk where I do all the other aspects of business along with home management, journaling, correspondence, etc. I decided to buy a new desk and put it in the living room, which I do love since I spend so much time at it. As you can see in the image above. One thing remains the same, Berta, my trusty assistant, is always at my feet.

One of my favorite things about this room as the set of French doors where I enter the room. I just love them. And notice the sewing themed curtains? I got them from Amazon. 

When you look to the right, you'll see my new worktables. They are height adjustable, which is nice because when standing for long periods of time, the taller height will be so much easier on my back. I also have a three-drawer storage unit in the corner.

Along the other wall is another three drawer storage unit and next to it is my fabric cabinet with my colorful storage jars atop. Do you think I have enough zippers?

There is a little nook next to the fabric cabinet. What a perfect place to use my embroidery machine! I keep it on the old desk, and on top of that is a black box that my husband made for a completely different purpose. Funny how perfect it is to raise my embroidery machine. And the fabric drawers I picked up at Wal-Mart fit perfectly for some of my scrap fabric.

Of course, my aprons are included in this room. I think I'm starting a collection. I have a few that aren't up there yet. You'll also notice that I installed some shelving units for storage and cute things. My son came and did all the big stuff such as the TV mounts, fireplace mantle, curtain rods, and numerous other things. I gotta say, I'm quite proud of my installation of the small shelves. I hope they don't fall down!

I do love this new space although it's going to take some getting used to. Change can be so difficult but at the same time it opens new doors for new experiences and opportunities. I hope you enjoyed my sewing room tour. Maybe someday I'll do a YouTube video about it. Maybe...

The Worst Summer of My Life

As the title says, it has been the worst summer of my life! I wish I could start over again, but have it end with different results. My husband and I had been looking forward to a really nice vacation starting with a scenic train ride from Chicago to San Francisco, then spending four days in San Francisco in the beginning of summer. Unfortunately, he became ill, so we flew home. He passed away within 18 hours of getting home. He passed from pneumonia. It all happened so fast! One day he was fine and working in the yard, traveling and enjoying the scenery. In just a couple of days later, he was gone. 

So, my life is in a complete mess right now. It's the absolute worst thing I've ever been through in my life. Fortunately, I have an amazing support system with family and friends. My kids have talked me into moving closer to them, which I agree is a good idea since I do spend so much time with them and I now feel so alone out here by myself. It's really not that far (about 30 minutes) but now I've found a house a mile away from my son. In the summer it's not so bad, but we are known to have some brutal winters with a lot of that Lake Michigan snow. And driving can be disastrous. And it will be so nice to be right there with them. My granddaughter and my son timed their bike ride from their house to mine, five minutes and 15 seconds. My subdivision is across the street from theirs. She is really excited. I've even given her the task of decorating the guest bedroom since she will be the one to use it the most.

This is why the blog has been neglected. Between keeping the business afloat, grieving, moving, and trying to get my life back in some kind of order, I'm overwhelmed. So, hang in there with me and I'll be bringing some more informative articles, tutorials, and other fun things you are used to seeing here. I might just be moving a little slower at it than usual.

Photo above: One of the photos I took from our scenic train ride which was the last time and place I saw my husband's beautiful smile.

Feeling Groovy in the 1970's

I was a teenager in the 70's. That was a good time to be young. Things were simple. We didn't have cellphones, computers, or even cable. Can you imagine having only three main TV stations? And worse yet, when I got a flat tire and that other time I ended up in a ditch, I had to walk to find a phone to get help. And how about prom? We didn't have our hair, makeup, or nails done professionally. We also didn't rent limos. I'm sure our parents probably appreciated not having to spend so much money. But we still had fun. As I remember it, the day after prom was the most fun because that's when you spend the day going someplace special. For us it was usually a big park, beach, or a day at Great America Theme Park. We also did dinners in downtown Chicago after prom. 

I had a blast looking through my old photos to share some of them with you. What a fun trip down memory lane! In the photos above you'll see me getting my hair curled by a friend for prom. At least we had curing irons! I also included a picture of my sister as she's getting ready to go to school. But the picture of my sister is how I remember the 70's fashion. Bell bottom hip huggers, wide belt, platform shoes, and of course long hair. And take a look at the picture of my dad in front of the floral curtains. Dad looked great but the curtains, yikes! Of course, it wouldn't be a true 70's picture without my first car, a 1970 Toyota. By the time I got to drive it you had to put it into neutral at every stoplight and gently press the gas pedal or it would die. It was mine and my sister's first car and we loved it at the time.

But back then, we really didn't feel like we were missing anything. So many things have changed in that short amount of time when it comes to technology. I can't even begin to imagine all the things my granddaughter will see in her lifetime. I do hope though that she will look back at her teens in a fun way just like I do.

After looking at the pictures I can say that the quality of our photos have come a long way.

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week.  

Choosing the Perfect Color Palette

Did you ever notice that the most beautiful color combinations come from nature? Sunsets, flowers, the oceans, and fall foliage are so beautiful, why not think about them when planning your next project? Just use a photo, then take it into a photo editing program and pick colors from the image. You can't go wrong when you choose colors straight from nature.

When my kids were small, we would drive about an hour to my parent's house on weekends. On one weekend I looked at the trees along the highway and pointed them out to my kids. I told them to soak in all that beauty because you won't see them looking that beautiful for another year. They were at their peak, and it was beautiful.

A couple weeks later I took that same drive. I was heading to my mom's house to meet all the ladies in the family for our annual day after Thanksgiving shopping trip to Woodfield Mall in one of the Chicago suburbs. Yes, malls were a big thing back then before the big box stores and Amazon. Anyway, just as I was approaching that area of trees that I pointed out to my kids a few weeks prior it looked really different but in a good way. Since I was driving in the early morning, the frost was still on the ground and the trees. I look over and I see deer surrounded by the glistening tree branches and ground. It looked like it would have made a beautiful postcard or painting. I kind of felt like something was telling me to never underestimate Mother Nature because she will come right back at you in a magnificent way!

So next time you need some inspiration for a color theme, just look outside.

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week.  

What Happens on a Girls' Trip...

If you've never gone on a girls trip you are missing out! One of my mom's favorite things was going on girls’ trips. And for those who knew her will know that they were always centered around shopping. Mom loved to shop! Two of my favorites were Mall of America and Gurnee Mills. She always liked to stay in the nicest hotels too. I really miss those days with my mom, my sis and myself just enjoying non-stop shopping and having fun. My most recent was a trip to Frankenmuth with my daughter-in-law, my sis, and our granddaughters. And yes, in the photo above you'll see my 60-year-old sister hanging from the luggage rack. It's hard to believe that no drinking was involved. But that's just some silly fun we would have never had if we had the hubsters along.

What makes for a good girl’s trip? A girl’s trip is anything you want it to be. You can go on shopping trips, state park trips, big city trips, small town trips, and even wineries. For the wineries just make sure you grab an Uber and of course, you must all be twenty-one. And whatever you do, you need to journal it so you never forget a thing. If kids are involved, it's easier when they are older. Just be sure to include as much fun for them as for the adults.

Another fun thing to include is something matchy. If you are the planner, you can give everyone a nice little gift such as fun travel accessories or piece of jewelry. On our recent trip you can see that we all had matching (temporary) tattoos. Quite surprisingly they lasted the whole trip!

OK, one more rule. When you do travel with your granddaughters and they want ice cream for dinner, you have ice cream for dinner!

Where will your next girls’ trip be?

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week.  

Dream Journals

Let's talk about one of my favorite subjects...dreams! I am so fascinated with this subject. I always have crazy dreams and some of them seem so real. A few years back I decided to start a dream journal and I'm so happy I did. I love to look back at some of them and read them. It's always good for a laugh. The photo above is from a dream a few years ago. My friend and I were riding our bikes to downtown Gary to visit the lakefront. And yes, we were carrying ironing boards. Just why?! And if you're not familiar with Gary, you don't want to ride a bike, car, or anything there. And the funny thing is that we could have easily grabbed our ironing boards and visited the lakefront that's 10-mile (maybe less) drive from my house. Same lakefront but safer area and it has a beautiful lighthouse.

I find that recurring dreams are most interesting because I'm sure there's an underlying message, they are trying to send you. For example, for years and years I kept having this dream that I was trying to find the underground shopping in Toronto. I've been there in my much younger years and I guess it left an impression on me. In my dream I can almost find it but something just doesn't seem right. Well, fast forward to 2023 and my husband and I went to Toronto, and I was able to show him the underground shopping. It's called The Path and he really loved it! But after my recent visit, I haven't dreamed about it again. Strange!

I could go on and on with a long list of my dreams from my journal but I'm thinking you have your own funny dreams to think about. I log mine in my notes app but they have some really cool apps for Android and iPhone that will help you create a journal that can be a lot of fun. Some of the apps come with AI features that will help you animate or illustrate them. For my dream images I used the AI functions of ChatGPT and Copilot. It's one of those things that you can get lost in and before you know it, you're late for dinner!

I do have a few suggestions though if you want to keep a dream journal.

The key to remembering them is to jot them down right away. You can even use the microphone on your phone to talk into. If you don't do this, there is a good chance you will forget it. I don't know why. In fact, when I look back at my journals, I don't remember most of them. I am so glad I wrote them down.

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week.  

Is This What They Call The Golden Years?

Does time seem to go too fast or is it just me? I have officially reached what they call the “Golden Years.” I celebrated my sixtieth birthday four years ago and in the past four years I feel like I’ve learned so much, mostly about myself. And it’s not all bad. The way I look at things is completely different than it was just ten or fifteen years ago.

I’ve learned where my priorities are. I’ve always put my family first above everything but I now I guess I look at it even differently. I became a Nana almost twelve years ago. I’ve discovered a kind of love that I’ve never known before. Having kids is amazing in its own way, but having a grandchild is on a whole other level. Maybe it’s because you don’t see them as much as you did when your kids were growing up, or maybe it’s because you are not the disciplinarian and are more relaxed and chill around them. I just know that when that beautiful child is with me, life stops everywhere else, and I just enjoy every minute.

Time is ticking along. Some say time is an illusion and I never understood that, and probably never will. The fact is that it’s moving ahead, quickly. All that being said, the way I prefer to spend my time is different than it used to be. I focus on doing things I enjoy, and I have learned to say no to things that I would have done before because I thought I had to. No more of that.

Giving is so much more fun for me than receiving. You reach a point where you really have what you need, and “things” don’t make you as happy as it once did. I find it more rewarding to share what I have or what I can with others that are in need. Time, money, or awareness can make a difference in your life and can help those in need. When you realize how blessed you are, in what ever way that may be, it makes you want to share that with others.

There’s more to life than what we have in Indiana. Yep, a lot more! I’ve always enjoyed traveling but these days, we travel every chance we get. I’d rather spend my money doing things and having experiences than buying material things. It’s a big world out there and we want to see it while we still can. We’ll be taking our first scenic train ride in a couple of months. It will be an experience. I’m glad my husband isn’t into taking pictures and videos because I’m sure it will be quite a sight watching me climb up into the upper bunk at night.

I realize that my health is my most important asset. No truer words have ever been spoken. As I watched my parents and others age, I realize that not only do I want to remain healthy to live longer but I want to keep my mobility. Years ago, diet and exercise were something I attained for vanity purposes. Today, it’s all about my health and mobility. I’ve gotten a good hold of that lately and am working hard at trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Next, I’m going to add strength training to my daily routine.

If you are still with me and haven’t fallen asleep while I ramble on, thank you. My final thought is that I hope you are inspired to take good care of yourself and those around you.

The photo above is my favorite photo from a two-week road trip we took last year. There are a lot of beautiful places out there!

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Gallery Glass - Great Idea for a Kid's Craft

 

I don't mean to brag but...I am the lucky Nana to a smart, beautiful, thoughtful, and talented girl. OK, maybe I bragged a wee bit! She likes to spend weekends with us, and it always must be two nights. Her rule, not mine. That leaves lots of time to work on craft projects and she loves to do craft projects. I've already introduced her to my sewing machines.

One of the projects we recently did was with Gallery Glass. I purchased the kit at Amazon, but I also found it at WalMart. What's great about this paint is that you use it right out of the bottle. There are no messy paint brushes or dirty paint water. It's great for kids because they use the bottle for the painting, which is much easier than using a paintbrush. I did some research to make sure it's kid friendly and it is. It's non-toxic and water based. Of course you'll want to supervise, especially with younger children.

Always make sure that you use a protective product over your work surface. You'll also want to use some alcohol to wipe down the glass so there will be no oil or dirt left behind. Also stress the importance of trying not to touch the glass (painting area) with your fingers. If using it on a glass, candle cup or other type of holder, it's easy to hold the item placing your hand or fingers inside while you are painting the outside. 

Once your area and glass are ready, you draw your picture or design with the black "leading" which is kind of like a 3-dimensional paint. You need to let that completely dry before continuing. Once it's completely dry, you fill in the areas with the colored paint.

I happened to have these glass bowls left from a couple of parties that we hosted. They were used for the centerpieces, and I hated the thought of getting rid of them and I'm glad I didn't. I also have a box of flameless votive candles which worked perfectly inside. My granddaughter can use it in her room and doesn't have to worry about forgetting to blow out a candle or catching the place on fire. I personally prefer those over real candles lately. They really look real too. I'll share the links to these things below. 

If you are looking for a great kid's project, this one is easy and inexpensive. These would also make great gifts for the elderly or hospital patient when given with a flameless candle.

Links:

Flameless candles

Gallery Glass

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week. 

Buc-ee's! Don't Miss this Little Gem While Traveling

Have you ever been on a road trip and passed a sign with the cute beaver that says Buc-ee's? Well, my advice is to stop in for a quick (or not so quick) visit. Buc-ee's is not just a fancy rest stop off the highway, it's an entire experience!

We travel a lot! Two of the places we regularly travel to are Texas and Florida, and there are a lot of Buc-ee's between here and there. My first time there, I was in constant aww! They have so many things that will make your road trip extra fun. They have a lot of choices for lunch, dinner, or a quick snack. Everything is super fresh and worth every penny. On our last visit we picked up some cobb salads for lunch and they were fresh as can be. We sat in the car and enjoyed them. No wilted lettuce in our salads!

They are really known for their smoked beef brisket. And the smell when you are in there is amazing! Not a fan of brisket or beef in general, don't worry, they have a lot more. Everything from sandwiches, salads, yogart parfaits, fruits, nuts of every kind, fudge, candies, cookies, chips, and so much more! My personal favorite is chocolate covered cashews. Yep, it's the only place I've seen them, and they are sooooooo good!

They also have some cute stuff too. They have holiday items, souvenirs, pets’ stuff, kitchenware, games, coolers, gifts, kids' stuff, and every kind of soft drink you could imagine. They are also known for their 100 plus gas pumps at each location. If your car is a little dirty, they have the longest car wash you've ever seen.

This may sound funny, but they are also known for their restrooms. Yep, I said it, "RESTROOMS." They are super clean and quite pretty. It seems like every time we travel, we see where another one has popped up. 

If you are on a road trip and see a Buc-ee's you should stop on by. I'm sharing the link to their website so you can take a sneak peek. Did I mention how much I love the place?

Oh, and my son would never forgive me if I didn't mention their beef jerky. They also have a little thing called "beaver nuggets." Yep, they have things you've never seen elsewhere. Be sure the check it out for yourself.

https://buc-ees.com/about/

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week. 

Sewing for a Cause & Giving Back

 

Giving back and helping others is something that makes you feel good and knowing that you are making a difference is even better. My parents have always been those that helped others and since that's what I grew up with, that seems like the norm to me. Even if you don't have much to give, you can still make a difference in someone's life.

Several years back my sister made a delivery of supplies to a local battered women's shelter. Her boss has been donating items to them for years. One of her deliveries was during the fall. Since there were several children there she asked one of the ladies if there was something we could do for the kids especially with Christmas just a few months away. She was told that the kids don't miss out during the Christmas season but it's the women (moms) that get left behind. This got her thinking so she asked how mamy women they housed. At that time they only had room for six at a time. They have recently added more rooms and beds which is nice. But that go my sister thinking. How about doing something for the moms? Their basic needs are met from the government and other organizations. Why don't we do something special for them? Things that they don't get like personal items or pampering items. Many of these women were strong enough to leave a bad situation and most brought nothing more that the clothes on their backs. That's when our little group started to form. At that time we had no idea how it would grow.

That Christmas we did some shopping and made up six gift bags. We filled them with thermo water bottles, journals, pens, shower gel, razors, puzzle books, laundry bags and other fun things. And of course I made up a bunch of wallets and key fobs to add to them. They loved them! It started with just my sister, myself, and our girls. Before we knew it, our friends wanted to help, then my sister's church friends, then friends of their friends. We are now over fifty women strong! We were able to add another shelter to our list and between them I believe there are about 35 women at any given time. 

We did some more brainstorming and came up with the idea of welcome boxes for the new arrivals at the shelters. In these boxes we put all of the items listed above plus towels, hair ties, flameless candles, hair brushes, foldable tote bags, and more. As soon as they are down to their last couple of boxes, they call us and we send at least six more. My sister is great at keeping all the information up to date, inventory organized, as well as our Amazon gift list of needed items. And some of these women are extremely generous. We started a private facebook group where our group can see what's needed and when.

If you like to sew or embroider, I know you have a major stash of scrap fabric that could be put to good use. You can make simple little gifts that will brighten someone's day. To find places that you can donate to, contact your local shelters, nursing homes, hospitals, and churches to see where you can donate. You will see in the image above that there are two little monster pillows. I made them for a call out requesting the handmade items for children several years back. They provided the pattern and we (sewers from all over) bought the fabric and stitched them up.

Giving to those in need makes them happy and you happy. It's a win win! If you want to make little wallets, just put in a search at TikToc or Youtube and you'll see hundreds of them. Some of them are so quick and easy, you can whip them up in no time. I also included some links below of some of my tutorials that are quick and easy and would make great donations. And the supplies for these are items you might already have, or things you can get inexpensively.

Earbud case or coin purse

Travel tray that stores flat

Simple candle cups for Christmas (for donating I'd use flameless tealights)

Candles for anything

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There's a free machine embroidery design in every issue (unless I'm running a sale). You'll also find links to free sewing tutorials and articles too. The newsletter goes out once a week. 

Safety First - Always!

This post is a bit different than my usual crafting and sewing articles. I have what I feel is an important message because of our own personal experience this week. 

If you don't have a carbon monoxide detector, you need to buy one. If you can't remember when you last purchased one, buy a new one. We had a horrible storm this week that not only did a lot of damage, but left many of us without power for three days. 

Several years back we purchased a whole house generator. Second night in, we were awakened by our carbon monoxide detector. We immediately went outside and called 911. The fire department came with their meter and yes, the levels were high. They called our power company and came out and made several checks. It appeared that our generator gasses were seeping into the house via the dryer vent. We covered it up with duck tape, aired the house, then turned the generator back on. Next night, it happened again! This time we just turned off the generator and went to bed. Of course we aired out the house first. 

The important message here is that if we didn't have that carbon monoxide detector, we would have been in a closed up house for three days! More than likely I wouldn't be here to write this post had we stayed with toxic gasses for three days.

So order one if you don't have one. The one we have plugs right into an outlet so no attaching to a wall is needed. We have another one coming tomorrow. Since this one has done it's job, we are replacing it. They are also inexpensive. The one I just bought I ordered from Amazon for around $20.

Feel free to share this post, or share the experience with someone you know. They really do save lives!!!

Photo for attention. We took a road trip this past month and this is some of the beauty we enjoyed along the way.

Cozy Up My Space

I spend a lot of time in my studio and I decided to cozy it up a little. I do keep it neat unless I'm in the middle of projects. Some of you have already seen my studio and if you haven't I have a tour on the blog that you can view HERE.

Although my job consists of patterns, embroidery designs, and constant testing of them, I also spend a lot of time at my desk doing the graphic work for the designs, keeping my books, creating ads, and other desk work.

One of the things I have in the studio is LED overhead lighting. And when the lights are on, they are bright, I might even say super bright. In fact, the electrician that came by to install them asked me if I was sure I wanted them in a bedroom. I told him that I work in here so it's perfect. When I'm just doing desk work, it is still so bright so I now have a lamp stand that is near my desk so I have perfect lighting for working on the computer or sketching up some designs. 

Now that the lighting at my desk is softer, I decided to add some coziness. I spend so much time here that I figured why not. I found these flameless candles on Amazon that look so real. They came in a set of three but I split them up so I could have one or two in my studio. And how do you like the little owls? Another Amazon find that looks so cute on my window cell. In the right of the image you'll see a cute little wooden sign that my husband made for me on his scroll saw and I just love it!

I just thought I'd share my little space for working on all the designs I've been creating!

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How Do You Organize Your Time?

After trying so many different ways and things to organize my time and my life, I've finally figured out what works for me. If you search for tools or information for time organization, you'll find hundreds of apps, spreadsheets, digital planners, paper planners, list makers and more. It can be overwhelming! And I think I've probably tried them all at one point or another in the past several years.

When looking for a time management or notes tool, at least for me, it had to fit the following criteria:

Must be fast

Must be easy

Must sync seamlessly between my tablet, computer, and phone

Must be capable of handling a lot of information but yet be simple

I'm going to share with you what I have finally found that works for me. Believe me when I say that I have tried almost everything out there. My system may not work for you, but if you are still on the lookout for a great way to organize your time, give these a try. And the best part.....they are FREE!

First, Google Calendar with Keep Notes. If you have an Android device, you probably already have the Google calendar and Keep Notes. If not, you can download it from your apps store. These work well together in fact, you can open your Google Keep Notes right there in your calendar app while on the computer. There are so many ways to keep your calendar organized with events and tasks. You can also share your calendar with your work group or family, or you can just share a part of it. Seriously, it does so much! I like to keep my Keep Notes up with my calendar because that is where I keep my weekly checklist, grocery list, and a couple other items that I use on a daily basis. It's all right there and ready for me when I need them. And of course, I can access them from all my devices. I also have my Google Assistant (awesome app) set up so that when I ask it to take a note, it stores it in my Google Keep so I will see it right away when I get back to my tablet or computer. I also like that I can view my calendar in different modes such as monthly, weekly, daily, and agenda. On my phone and tablet, I like to use agenda (or schedule), and on my computer I like to look at the whole month.

For other notes such as long lists, project planning, recipes, etc, I use Samsung Notes. It's only available for Samsung tablets, computers, and phones but it's a powerful little app. I love that I can import PDF documents and annotate. This is especially handy when I'm proofreading my patterns. It allows you to organize in folders and even folders in folders. I call it my second brain. You can't use it in your computer, but if you download the "Link Phone to Windows" app, you can use it by connecting through your phone with Windows 10 or 11.

Now you see how I organize my life; how do you organize yours?

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Tour of My Sewing and Embroidery Studio

Several years back I gave a tour of my studio but a lot has changed in the studio and with my designing since then. The one thing that hasn't changed is that it is and always will be my happy place.

I gave my husband measurements and he built me two complete walls of shelving according to my specs. The big piece in the bottom picture is a Murphy bed. It's so easy to pull down when we have guests. When our granddaughter spends the night her and I like to have movie night in our jammies. We have popcorn, candies, herbal tea, and of course Berta (Yokie in top picture) likes to join us. Above my desk on the wall to the left is a TV that we can pull out from the wall and turn it toward us.

I also have a foldup standing desk (stored under the desk to the left) that I can put on the table in the bottom picture, or my desk when I feel like I'm getting too much sitting time.

I just recently added the table on the left so I could have my sewing machine up and my embroidery machine at the same time. I actually quit sewing a few years back because it was a pain to clear off my desk to place the sewing machine. Now it's always ready for some serious stitching.

Of course I have lots of great storage! Ribbon fit perfectly in the over the door shoe holder and an over the door handbag holder is perfect for my interfacings, stabilizer, and some of my vinyl.

I love the cabinet at the right. I bought it about 35 years ago. It fits my cotton fabrics perfectly! And that gaming chair is so comfortable!

There is always some kind of work in progress. If I have to pull down the bed for a guest, I just fold up the table and stash it behind the door and place the stuff on top in a bin that goes in the closet. Takes about five minutes.

I love my desk! It's the perfect set up for me. The monitor at the left is so handy for those times when two monitors are needed. Plus, it's so large I can really see what I'm doing. You'll also notice that I have my Samsung tablet ready to go when I need it. I also always have a pen and paper for notes. And of course, you can see at my feet there is a little bed. That's because Berta never leaves my side.

Above really is the view outside my window. Momma deer seems to trust us because this isn't the only time she's left her babies in our yard for the day. On this particular day, I had to take my dog out in the front yard on a leash so he wouldn't disturb them.

I hope you enjoyed the tour. Now you have a peek inside the studio where all my creations come to life!

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Old Cemeteries

I hope I don't lose my people on this one, but I have a whole other side to me. I'm still crafty, family-oriented, and love my baking and cooking, but I also love to visit old cemeteries. The older, the better. I have a partner in crime on these missions so I'm not alone in these adventures. I didn't have any interest in them until I moved out to the country. Up the hill, tucked in the woods right behind my house is an old family cemetery. One day I decided to take a look. I was fascinated by the old headstones, some of which the wording have completely faded away. I was curious so I researched the family and found some interesting reading. There are three headstones that have military markers. Two are from the War of 1812, and one from the Civil War. For such an old cemetery, I was surprised and happy to see that someone has been taking very good care of the property. They just recently put up new fencing, a new sign, and mulch on the hill leading up to it. I hope to talk to that person if I ever see them.

Another thing about cemeteries is that it's a great place to get your steps in! Not the one on the hill, but the bigger ones. We have so many trails near our house yet the big cemetery in town is always full of walkers. One of my favorite things to do is look at all the military graves. I just started carrying pennies with me so I can place them. If you like to leave coins on the headstones, here is an article on how to do it, what it means, and how it all began.

https://dma.mt.gov/MVAD/MVAD-Images/Coins-on-headstones-meaning.pdf 

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Crossing the Canadian Border 2023

After a three month wait for our passports to arrive, my husband and I hit the road for a trip through eastern Canada. We covered locations which are completely different from each other. I'll share some of those experiences later.

There are some major differences between the US and Canada. Some took me by surprise while others made me question why the US doesn't enact them.

The biggest thing I noticed while traveling is how green Canada is. Wherever you see a trash can, you usually see recycling bins next to them. Every hotel we stayed at also had recycling bins next to our trash bins. Another thing I noticed was that there was not a single plastic straw to be found. All the straws we got for our drinks were paper or some other type of biodegradable material. They weren't the icky paper straws from years back that stuck to your lips, they were quite comfortable to drink from. I don't know if the straws in alcoholic beverages are the same because my husband and I gave up alcohol about a year ago, so we didn't use or see those.

Being a serious tea drinker (thanks to Mom’s English blood), I am very picky about my teas. I even carry a couple tea bags in my purse because I refuse to drink the generic icky stuff. Any hot tea I ordered either gave me a selection of teas to choose from or had a good quality brand with my hot water. As for the iced tea, many of the places we ate at only offered sweetened tea. I'm not a fan of sweetened tea so I just stuck to water for those places.

All the areas we traveled through (Eastern Canada) there was a lot of French. Just across the border in Toronto they had signs that had both English and French. It was the same for their TV stations. By the time we got to Quebec, it was all French! Fortunately, the people who live there spoke English and French, so we didn't have any problems getting around. However, all the road signs, menus, TV stations, etc, were all in French. The locals were very helpful though. I will also add that the kilometers were driving my husband nuts when he was driving. He wanted to go 100 mph and I told him that the sign said 100 km per hour, which is about 63 miles per hour. At least in the areas we were at, the speed limit was never over that amount.

That's the general breakdown of the entire trip. I hope you'll stick around for the next four posts where I'll get into the basics about the four general areas where we stayed.

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Travel Journal & Sharing A Printable with You!

I'm a traveler. I love to travel. With my kids and parents at different locations in the US, I get the opportunity to travel often. When I get home I love to make travel journals, then convert them into PDF documents so I can read them whenever I want. I do this in my CorelDraw program but they can also be made in Microsoft Word, Samsung Notes, and so many other programs out there; many of which are free. While I'm traveling I like to remember everything so I upload journal pages into my note-taking app so I don't have to worry about forgetting anything. Once I get home, I combine my notes and some favorite photos in my travel journals.

My husband and I just came home from a two week trip through Canada. We covered four special locations in the eastern part. I'll be sharing some great information about them another time. 

I just added some free travel templates to my Nerdy Me page on my website. Feel free to snatch them up free of charge. I make them for myself so I like to share them with you as well.

If you are interested, you can find them at:

https://www.inthehoopbysher.com/nerdy-me.html

Enjoy!

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Crafting in the Sixties

 

I recently came across some pictures of the things my Grandma made when I was a little girl. We've come so far since then! I have beautiful memories of crafting with her. She worked at a place called the Palette Party Shop. It was the craft store of that time. It was in an old late 1800's building on 38th in Broadway in Gary. I can still smell it as I write this. My sister and I would walk there after school and watch her and the other employees make party and shower decorations. I loved to play with the ribbon making machine. The shop was full of beads, felt, wiggle eyes, sequins, syrofoam, ribbon, lace, decorative pins, and crepe paper of every color imaginable. Things were so simple back then. I still have some of her actual projects. They are kept in a box because they are too fragile to handle.

Do you ever wish you could go back in time just for a day or so? Funny how special things can be when you look back at your past. We took those walks and visits for granted as kids but I do love the memories.

Are You Ready for the Three Dune Challenge?

The photo on this blog post is one I took while hiking the dunes. Long before the park became a National park (was just a state park) they didn't have the "3 Dune Challenge." They had the three big and steep dunes, but they didn't call it a challenge. We locals just thought of it as "Trail 8." And it's a tough one! When I first started hiking that trail, I thought I was going to die. I had this vision of DNR arriving to my aid on their 4-wheel vehicles. By the end of that sumer after going about two or three days a week, I had them mastered. I can even say that I never had to stop and rest, just breezed on through! 

The hubster and I were talking about getting our season pass and making it a regular activity once again. It has been about 15 years since I've climbed those dunes and I just know that I'll be back to near death again the first time. Between age and added weight, it will be rough but I'm bound and determined to make it happen. That is my goal for 2023.

If you want to see what I'm talking about, I've dropped a few links below so you can check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XZK2mWxljI

https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7013463/trail-8-3-dunes-challenge

https://www.indianadunes.com/explore-the-dunes/indiana-dunes-state-park/3-dune-challenge/

What will you challenge yourself to do?

Dreams Can Be Crazy - Keep a Journal for Them

Every night before I go to bed I wonder where I'm going to go before waking up. My dreams are so real that I really think I'm living them. Some are so crazy that I wonder how my mind can actually make them up.

I've recently been journaling them because some of them are so out there that I don't want to forget about them. They are actually fun to read later.

I'll share two favorites of mine that I never want to forget:

Our parents live in Florida and we were down there visiting one day (yep, 2000 miles for just the day) and they put out a big spread for lunch. The only thing funny about it was that the sandwiches were made from felt. Fabric felt sandwiches. Yummy!

My all time favorite dream was about three years ago. My friend and I were riding our bikes to the Gary, Indiana lakefront. I actually live by the lake several miles from Gary so I don't know why we rode to Gary instead of our own part of the Lake. The best part of the dream is that my friend and I were riding our bikes while carrying ironing boards. IRONING BOARDS! One of us got a flat so we stopped at a gas station to fix it. While we were there someone stole our wrench. I then said to my friend that we could buy another ironing board at WalMart for around $20 so we left our ironing boards at a laundrymat and went on our way. I seriously can't read that one without laughing.

If you plan to keep a journal for them, be sure to jot them down right after waking up. They are so easy to forget about if you don't do that. I always have a notepad everywhere in the house where I can quickly jot things down. If I don't have time in the morning, as long as I jot down some notes, I can record them in my dream journal later.