Mood:  down

...and with lightning strikes, a new computer, a still-barely-cleaned new home, and various other volunteer and special projects, I'm gonna take a week or so off. I'm exhausted, and even a half-hour could make a difference between being alert and hitting that darn bicyclist who jumped in front of my car when the light turned green this morning.

Back soon - and hopefully then, I'll even update the site !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  chillin'

Today was kinda boring considering the high drama of Friday. Beloved Hubby was everywhere today, and I wasted a good chunk of mine waiting for the heater repair folk to show. They never did. Maybe tomorrow...

Well, not really 'wasted'. Got the living room, dining area, and the office cleaned up and started on the kitchen. Got some laundry done, too. Well, by 'wasted the day' I mean, it was more along the lines of 'didn't do any fun, challenging sewing or doll stuff'. While it doesn't seem like much, adding my own touches to the studio was quite exciting for me. I don't decorate, really. By the time the walls are painted, furniture's in place and the photos and family stuff's on the walls, there isn't much space left for decor. Hubby fully intends to do all the things he's created in his mind, but his work keeps him hopping, so I don't hold him to much. So having my own space, that I could do my way without considering anyone else but me - well, it kind of locked me up for a while. But I've been restarted, and there's more to come !

One of the files lost was a running tally of what I'd made and spent during the year. I've done it since 2002. But now that it's gone, I don't think I'll restart it. It was more limiting than anything else, because I always wanted the current year to top the year prior. So I'd do lots of small things and shy away from more involved projects - that made it tally up that I'd done more. Silly, isn't it ? Now, the spending one was probably helpful, but heck. I know I need to spend less, but I also need to cut the guilt about buying stuff. These days, if I want it for more than two weeks, it isn't a passing fancy.

Our music files were lost, too, but that's for the best. We (ahem) had some that we might not should have had. Hubby and I are now going through our CDs and ripping (copying into computer files) the ones we like best. Before, it was easier and faster to just grab what we wanted, even when we did own it. Well, from now on, if it's on the computer, we paid for it and 'own' the right to play and use it. We're also rediscovering what we have, which is always fun. Only problem I'm having is that occasionally, Vista completely deletes the artist or song title I type in. 'Mask' soundtrack, I had to type in three times before it 'stuck'.

Well, as you can see, Beloved Hubby came home bearing a modem and a new DSL filter. So I'm back ! Wheeee ! Still cleaning up from the storm, but I'm happy and hope to clean up the studio so I can try taking a better photo. The ones I've taken reek. Hope your week will be uneventful - unless it's all good stuff ! :)

Posted by dorriebelle at 11:23 PM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 April 2007 11:25 PM CDT

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Mood:  celebratory

I made the curtain swag for over the door to my studio today ! Found two yards of a blue sky/white star fabric I'd intended to make a shirt from, but its destiny just got changed. Two yards was both too thick and too short to make what I wanted, so I cut it lengthwise and sewed the halves together. Four narrower yards ! Put in hems and ironed it and, poof, swag !

It doesn't drape to the floor, but I like the look it has. Mental note - if I want it floor-length, I need three yards with a middle seam, six without the seam. Eight if I want a matching valence for the window. Bunched it together over the pegs a bit,  leaving the ends free to drape, and tied a wide white satin ribbon over the seam, to both hide it and gather the fabric. I've tried to take photos, but I haven't quite 'got' it yet.

In the midst of this project, I had to answer the door. Amazingly, the phone company sent someone over, to fix our lines. Wow. Who'd have thought they'd do that on a Sunday ? Well, we have phone service again, and we should have internet tomorrow - we'd planned on the modem and filter purchase after the repair, which wasn't expected until Monday or Tuesday. And we can get along without internet for another day or three.

At least now some of Beloved Hubby's more advanced graphics programs work. Even though the image software seems buggy, the Pinnacle image capture device is working much better than it did. I'm actually kind of worried about going online. I have no idea if the modem will be Vista compatible or not. And I hate to shell $70. (modem) and $15. (DSL filter) only to find out it doesn't work. But, heck, if someone besides me is reading this, well, it worked ! :)

Now that the projects I bought supplies for are being used, I can go get stuff for the next project ! Actually, that'll have to wait a bit - we just blew major money on replacing stuff we bought less than six months ago, darn lightning. I think I'll again focus on using what I have for a while - until I find a coupon or cheap supplies !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  a-ok

It's Life Goes On at Chez Insanity (now with More Power !) today. Phone lines are still out, but we have Beloved Hubby's cell phone. I still feel a bit...apprehensive, maybe, but it's not like I could have stopped yesterday's events from happening.

Since it's the first day in a week it hasn't been raining, I got my star pegs and paper mache star box spray-painted. Not sure what fabric I'm going to use for the swag, but I'm sure I'll find something in all this material wealth ! Went with Hubby to get a specialty tool he needs for next week, and it was nice to get out for a bit while the weather was sunny. With rain all week, I'd been cooped up inside. We even had a bit of a picnic lunch with some fast food at one of their cafe tables. It's been a while since we talked about nothing and everything.

Told the tool store cashier about our lightning strike, and we were her *second* customers who'd been hit. She'd met someone yesterday who lost part of his roof to a bolt. He came in for repair supplies - it was still raining at the time. Wow. Ya always got it better than someone else, ya know ?

After that, Dearest Son came home from his grandparents', and we assembled Hubby's new tools and puttered. I got the star pegs and sign hung, but I mostly had a nap. Didn't sleep well last night.

Oh, and I made a simple felt dress for Dottie and Timey from that Simplicity pattern. Kinda growly about it, I figured the Disney Princesses and Mia would fit the 'Small' and Dottie and Timey would be 'Medium'. Nope. Small hung on the DPs worse than a cinched bag, and was even a bit wide on Dottie and Timey. It looked rather plain, so I sewed on some trim. For such a simple design with minimal sewing - ya don't hafta hem felt ! - it looks pretty nice.

A nice feature on the new computer is a built-in card reader. I don't have to turn on the cameras to download photos anymore. I just remove the capture card, apply it to the correct slot, and the computer reads it. Let's hear it for saving batteries ! Our camera came with a 16mb card, and we found a second one - now we can use them when we need to take only a few photos. Good thing I didn't toss 'em or donate 'em. It also has a total of six (!) USB ports.

It's funny, though, what the new computer doesn't have. No floppy drive, or modem. Yet it expects online connectivity. Keeps asking for connections to download and register things. Woe betides anyone who buys a computer but doesn't want to go online ! Today's computers can drive anyone insane with the constant nagging.

There's apparently a problem with the graphics drivers. Try to see a large image and the image viewer shuts down with a 'driver error' message. Bear in mind, we haven't installed anything at all yet. It's having issues with the stuff it came with. (sigh) This is why I hate getting brand-new Microsoft...you've gotta be online to get all the %$#* updates to fix all the %#@*& problems !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 April 2007 11:15 PM CDT

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Mood:  incredulous

You know how, lots of weekends, I catch up the last two or three days on Monday ? It always gets busy on weekends, so much to do, especially now that the weather's not so blasted miserable. But this week, I had an exceptional reason for not writing the Doll Diaries the days they're due - our new place got hit by lightning !

No joke. While I was waiting for Dearest Son in his school's pick-up area, a bolt hit a tree in the backyard. It went to ground, which was more of a lake than anything else, due to a solid week of intermittent rain. Power has to go somewhere, and it found a path of low resistance via phone lines. Blew the DSL filter apart, pieces landing eight feet from the socket. From there, it caught the DSL modem on fire, scorching the desk and propelling it off the surface and onto the floor, where it smashed and smouldered. The new monitor bascially became a high-tech Pop-Tart, and the less-than-one-month-old fax was similarly toasted. My cell phone was charging when it got a good dose of more power than it was supposed to ever have, all at once, and it's now a higher-quality toy cell phone for Son. Somehow, it also messed up the heat/air unit, so that hasn't been working either. Luckily, another blanket on the beds and we didn't care.

Of course, I knew nothing of this when we got back. I just heard a high-pitched 'eeeeee' noise and thought I smelled smoke. Tracked the sound to the upside down modem and its ominous single red light. Picked it up and almost dropped it, it was still so hot. I noticed the front diode plate was missing and saw the scorch marks. Hastily put it down, and several capacitors and resistors, black with carbon and still lightly smoking, fell out. The wall plate now had black streamers of scorch, too.

Phone lines were completely out. Visited the Day Care center next door, they saw a bolt of lightning, but didn't know where it hit. Felt the ground move from the force of the strike, though. Still bloody raining, too. Hoofed it across the street to the 7-11 and its pay phones. Called Beloved Hubby with the exceptional news, so he wouldn't worry when not one communications method worked, and then called the phone company.

Two hours later, I was back home. Now, I don't mean to suggest that the phone part took that long. No, reporting fried lines for repair service took about 15 minutes. Dealing with the DSL people...that took most of my out-in-the-rain-on-a-pay-phone time. Bascially, since the modem's more than a year old, it's ours, and they're not gonna replace it. I could either pay $70. (plus $12.95 s/h) for a new modem like the Krispy Krittered one, or upgrade to $35./month service and get a $50. rebate on an $89. wireless router modem (plus $12.95 s/h). Or I could cancel our service for a $99. early-termination fee. At least that one didn't have a shipping/handling fee...and I was seriously considering it.

Then the tornado alarms went off. Geez, how much can I deal with in a single afternon ? Evidently more, because I just laughed. The tornado warning was about 15 minutes long, so we flipped the XM radio to a local station (heavy rains and clouds eliminated our semi-crappy TV reception) and heard the forecaster ride out the last few minutes. He even said, "Let's see what's gonna happen during the last minute of this warning !", which would make a cat laugh, it was so serious and silly at once. I heard there were funnel-cloud sightings, but we were fine, luckily. Talk about a day of fire and rain...we had one !

So we spent our 'rainy day fund' (Ha !) on a new computer tonight. Not something we were looking to do, but Hubby's business and most of the family's recreation and news run online so... And, as it turned out, where we bought it sells the exact same modem in their stores. Sure, we gotta pony up tax, but we'll have it in hand without waiting for shipping. Plus tax is cheaper than s/h. Not that the phone company told me this. I honestly thought, from their words, they were the only source of modems that work with their system. Bastids.

We have Windows Vista, which seems nice so far. Luckily I backed up my patterns a few months ago, so those aren't lost - just the three I scanned this week are. Can always scan 'em again. Someday. Lost about four months of Musings - my personal journals - and about a year's worth of photos. Gosh only knows what Hubby lost.

So while I'm a bit upset, I know how lucky we were. That modem could have caught the house on fire. And while I'd have liked to watch about $2k worth of equipment go up in metaphorical flames, it's probably best nobody was home when it happened. Nobody got hurt, repairs have either been affected or professionals called, and we still have power, the fridge didn't get hit, and there wasn't a tornado down Main Street. Beloved Hubby knew I'd be feeling morose, so he ordered Chinese food for us tonight. He's so sweet. So, on the whole, it wasn't that bad.

But I'm kind of mourning anyway.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 April 2007 11:14 PM CDT

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Mood:  happy

 OK, so she's a Happy Meal doll. But isn't she the cutest ? McDonald's has a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle/Madame Alexander Wizard of Oz Dolls promotion on, for their kiddie meals. I've known about it since the last toys - they always put the next one on the bottom of the box or bag, if there is a special one.

If it sounds interesting, I hit their website. So I've wanted this little charmer for about a month now. It kinda bugged me that my brother-in-law (yup, same dude who gave me Harley Quinn that Christmas !) got his before I got mine, but he was a lot more determined than I. He called around to the 12+ chains around here - I just asked at the drive-thru last night.

I'd planned on taking a series of cute photos of Tiny Witch here with Elphie, but the weather didn't cooperate much. Pouring down rain all day, ruined the shot I wanted. Darn it. So I took this one a few minutes ago. I can't get Tiny to stand by herself, so she's leaning against a plastic Chinese take-out box I bought for a bit over a buck at Hobby Lobby Monday. I think it makes a great background for her !

Her legs, shoes, and even her little molded-underwear clad bottom are all black plastic, and her skirt is inexpensive rayon with a ribbon belt. You could take the skirt off with scissors or a seam ripper, if you're so inclined, or wish to make her a different wardrobe. It's sewn into a slot on her back, so you'd need a *good* seam ripper. Her legs, jointed at the hips, allow her a wide seated pose, and her arms and head move, too. Her hands appear to be painted, and her head is, of course, green plastic with a non-removeable matching black witch hat and a bit of darn-near-impossible-to-style black hair.

Actually, the Happy Meal MAs almost all have some sort of headgear you'd need a hammer and air wrench to remove. Once, a long time ago, I got bored and took the plastic hat off one MA, she was from a yard sale lot, I think. Anyway, the hat held on her hair and was the top of her head. If I'm not mistaken, there was a screw I could get to on that one. I can't find it here, but I figure the basic construction's the same. Just don't count on Tiny here losing her head any time soon ! She's just toooooo cute !

Sometimes, it's darn amazing what you can get in a $3. Happy Meal.  Besides a light snack. This must do well for MAlexander, because I imagine it costs quite a bit. The toys are made and paid for by the toy company,  and provided to McD's - Ronald certainly doesn't pay for 'em. They also decide whether or not to pay for packaging, which is why sometimes there's a nice box, sometimes it's a specially decorated small sack, occasionally, just a regular small sack. There's also a WW of the East, but with fair skin and blonde hair, I wasn't interested. 

With all this *&%$ing rain, I still can't start my studio projects. So I've scanned all three of the doll patterns I bought Monday - Simplicity #3886, #4271, and #5419. Each was surprising in its own way. #3886 had 17 pieces - in each size ! 51 pattern pieces total. That'll keep you standing at the scanner a while ! It was also printed rather faintly, which meant I had a lot of redrawing to do. #4271 was just one size, for 15-inch dolls. Although it doesn't say so, the drawings on the envelope indicate it's for Bitty Baby Twins - and it had 37 pieces ! #5419, though, was done in a completely different font, and only had 8 pieces for each of the three sizes it serves - and those pieces were HUGE ! One piece had to be arranged five times on the scanner bed so I could get it all. Whew ! 

So here's hoping the weather improves ! I'm gonna go play with my Tiny Witch and Elphie - hope your night is quiet and peaceful ! 

Posted by dorriebelle at 7:36 PM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 9:57 AM CDT

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Mood:  chillin'

Woke up today with my right arm singing. Guess I slept on it wrong. Gosh knows once I got to bed last night, I didn't move until the alarm went off !

Even though the humidity is still heck-high, it's a nice day out. Got to test out my new clothesline ! Beloved Hubby got it strung for me today - the old wires were toast. I love hanging out laundry. Just have to remember to soften jeans and towels in the dryer before I put 'em away. Summer's coming, so the less heat I have in the house, the more I like it !

Got Simplicity #4271 scanned today. Took 2.5 hours to do just the pattern pieces and envelope. Usually does - most of yer Barbie-scale ones take three hours. I'm debating whether or not to scan the directions. Last time I didn't, I flipped through the pattern box 'til I had it and lifted the directions from it. Worked out fine, but I'd hate to lose the info sheets. I'd have to wait for another 99c pattern sale to replace 'em !

So there's not much else going on. If I get restless, I may cut out one of the other two. Right now, I'm gonna iron and store #4271. Hmmm. Or maybe I'll sew something, I'm waaaay behind in that ! 

Posted by dorriebelle at 3:26 PM CDT

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Mood:  a-ok

Stayed up late last night with Beloved Hubby, at his request. He was working on a project that required a late-night to finish, and he needed help staying awake.  So I didn't get much sleep. Got the Simplicity I cut out yesterday ironed, but that's about it. Had too much housework to do. Still too humid to do the studio work either. Checked the long-range forecast - the lowest humidity won't be until Saturday, and it'll still be over 50% ! But Monday on through next week is 100% or close to it. Drat. 

Oh, and here's a tip. The well water here is very soft, which means my hair is oily-looking, even right after a shower. I heard a vinegar rinse after a shampoo would help, and DMIL confirmed it. If you ever have a day when you just can't wake up, I suggest a nice, warm shower, with a sweet-smelling shampoo...followed by a cup of cold vinegar poured over your head ! You WILL be awake ! Not just from the cold sensation of vinegar going right to your scalp, but the smell will definitely stir your senses ! 

I know that last sentence wasn't parallel. Mr. Williams (high school English) is probably feeling chest pains right now.  But I am just too tired to care much.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  chatty

Late again. Sorry. Beloved Hubby's working on another AMV, and that does take up the computer time ! I'm just glad he's having fun.

Meanwhile, I burned through some serious cash. While cherry-picking a local grocer this morning, I found that they sold the storage tubs I wanted - cheaper ! Cheapest I'd found was a set of four, at $13.50 each. Had no idea if I needed four, but I'm sure they'd find a spot somewhere. Just kind of a big cash layout. The grocery store had 'em for $11.99 ! And I didn't have to get four ! I thought two might do it, and I was right. Closet's still fulla stuff, but it's better organized now !

From there, I hit the craft store. Three 99c doll patterns - Simplicity 3886, 4271, and 5419 - came home, along with the star pegs and a paper mache star that'll be the door sign and another project, all half off. Also scored two other 99c patterns for me, a cardboard project triptych (doll room !)at half off, and some other odds and ends.

The Mart yielded fabric to make a new for-me blouse, silver spray paint for the stars, and Krylon Matte Finish. The Krylon's for the posters, so they don't glare from camera flash. It'll also come in handy as a sealant for another project I'll tell ya about later. Also a markdown pack of tiny 80 bright-colored eyelets - they're made for scrapbooking, but I have plenty of other uses for 'em !

Totalling up just the doll, sewing, and studio stuff I bought, I burned through over $42. today ! Add the other miscellany, and it's over $50. Wow. I've been trying to keep my spending down this year - last month, I spent less than $20. for the whole thing !

And what really tanks is that I can't do my studio stuff. Humidity's too high to spray-paint the pegs and sign, darn it. I cut out one of the three patterns, #4271. It's fantastic when you get three sizes of doll clothes in one package. It's great knowing that you can probably use all three sizes on your various dolls, and you only paid 99c for a $14.95 pattern. However, it's a PITA to cut out 'Hat Facing 7' three times.

Still, it's unusual for me to cut out a pattern the same day I get it. I normally put it off to the side and rediscover it later. Because patterns have a long, hard road before I can use 'em 'round here. First, it gets cut out. Then ironed, nice and flat and straight. Then, it gets scanned. Another ironing job refolds everything, so it can be stored back in the envelope. Because it probably won't come back out of the envelope ever again. Once I have the scans, I just use them. That way, I don't lose pieces or damage the originals. It's overwhelmingly time-consuming, and I have to be of a mind to do it.  As you can imagine, that state of mind doesn't roll around every other day ! 

Oh, and I'm sure you haven't heard it from me first, but it was all the chatter everywhere I went - Hancock Fabrics is declaring bankruptcy, and our local Marts are discontinuing fabric sales. I'd be more upset, but facts are, I could shop my stash and use a new fabric every day for the rest of my life, and there'd still be plenty for the post-funeral yard sale. I actually see it as an opportunity to use what I have, instead of always searching for more. I know it leaves a lot of sewists out in the cold, though.

Two ladies at the Mart I was in today were pretty much buying up the entire dollar table fabric stocks. One bought entire bolts, including two pretty star fabrics I'd have snapped up myself. Oh, well. We talked while the staff measured and cut, over and over. They took mine in the middle of one lady's binge, and she'd amassed over 178 yards of material so far, with more to go. Bear in mind, this was no sale. They just wanted all they could get before markdowns and news-driven frenzy depleted stocks. They both made a quilt a month, often more. Wow. There was the usual chatter of hiding fabrics from spouses, etc.

My little 2.5 yards purchase seemed downright pathetic next to the folded, tagged textile towers on both sides of the cutting table. But it's all I needed, and with all I'd already spent that day, more than adequate for me. It was just funny that they were encouraging me to root around and buy more.  Shoot, I doubt I'll even venture to Hancock's to see if our store's on the chopping block. There's fabric that's been there so long, I wave to it whenever I go. And the scrapbooking, home decor, and furniture there is just annoying. It's always on markdown, and still no one wants it. Meanwhile, there's a bolt I've been waving at since 2003. 

So it was a big day today. Tomorrow, I get to iron and scan the new pattern. That's another thing - I have to do it all in a day or two, because having it lie around outside the envelope means I'll lose some of it if I take much longer with it !  

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  energetic

Kind of a slow Sunday. The local Marts are completely sold out of both soft Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen Easter baskets - so I'm glad I bought our LMcQ one weeks ago ! I kinda felt a bit 'taken', 'cause I paid $10. for an empty soft-sculpture car with a handle...but the generic ones at Big Lots were the same price ! So now I'm all happy about it, and I need to find out when Easter actually is...

Does it strike anyone else as odd that I get all happy about Easter baskets and when the trash truck gets *all* the garbage out of the can, and on the right day ? I do.  That stuff makes me happy. It's weird.

I've given up on the archway over my studio door idea. Most cheap 'garden' arches are at least fifteen inches wide - that eats too much into the hallway. I could put it inside the door, but your cheaper ones aren't that tall. Plus, there's the door, and I don't want to lose having a door.

So instead, I'm getting a pair of wooden pegs on star-shaped bases. They're only a buck each at Hobby Lobby. Once painted, they'll get nailed to the top corners of the door, to support a curtain-like swag over the doorway that I can change on a whim.  Heck, I can even swing Christmas lights over the pegs if I want to. And gosh knows I got plenty of fabric ! I'll probably still buy some, as what I have is normally a yard or less. I don't have to sew curtains, just hem some yardage. Or I could choose to not even do that - if I use star-printed tulle, which is cheap. Or sew my boxload of single Barbie shoes on to some netting, that'd be unique ! 

Can even make the swag the length I want. It can reach the floor or just graze the corners of the door frame. Depends on what I like. I can't wait to go shopping tomorrow ! If I buy fabric, I'll have to remember to get an extra yard or two, so I can make a matching valence for the window. Don't want more than that, the window's a main light source for the room. 

It's funny. In two days I've gone from '(sigh) I have a studio now that I don't even wanna go into.' to 'Wow ! I can't wait to customize my studio this week !'. I'm really excited about it. All because of an 'In The Pink' post and a party theme catalog I didn't even want. It's amazing where inspiration can originate.

I'm also considering adding a paper umbrella to one corner of the studio.  HLobby had big ones (they'd protect one person from rain for about ten minutes !) for less than $2., in vivid colors. They open and have a 'stay up' band, with a hanging loop on the handle. I've always loved paper umbrellas, no matter their size. Couldn't figure out how to use them until we ate out this weekend - the restaurant certainly knew how ! I'd also love to employ some paper lanterns, but I don't wanna get more ridiculous than I already have. At the rate I'm going, the studio's gonna look like a celestial-themed Chinese restaurant that serves dolls. 

 Is it bad that I think that'd actually be rather cute...? :)

Posted by dorriebelle at 11:31 AM CDT

Updated: Sunday, 25 March 2007 11:33 AM CDT

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