Wherein I describe our last 48 hours in Hades...

 

Would it be whining if I moaned how exhausted I am ? 'Cause I am, and I'm still gonna do it. &^%$.

 

Well, here's how the last 48 hours or so have gone. Beloved Hubby came home about 5pm Friday, after a full day of work, and we immediately started unloading his trash trailer. We'd need it to get Uncle and BIL's stuff out of the now-sold house - the new owners offered to let them stay for ten days. If they paid them $2400. via certified check. New owners didn't even pay Uncle with a certified check ! And it'd be Monday before Uncle could access his funds from the sale. So even if Uncle could pay that outrageous sum, he couldn't make the deadline.

 

Nothing for it. So, it was moving day - with a vengeance. We got our 14-ft. trailer and another one ( on loan from our horse-lady) ready to go, which included making a frame of sorts for the borrowed one. Beloved had the good sense to call a family friend to help, and together, Beloved and Friend loaded dozens of boxes onto the trailers. Uncle, BIL, and I were packing as fast as we could.

 

I couldn't believe some of the stuff they decided to pack and keep. Seriously, I was packing empty margarine tubs, flyswatters, and paper clips. Rather than do a serious 'trash everything not vitally important or sentimentally necessary' move, they were doing a 'let's keep every-bloody-thing' one - and we had to be out at midnight ! The new owners would be within their rights to lock us out with the assistance of the Sheriff's Department at the stroke of twelve. Uncle and BIL's computers were not only still not packed at 10pm, they were still running and online !

 

But, as midnight neared, both 14-ft trailers were packed full and tight. The back of Beloved's diesel truck had been loaded and emptied three times, and was stuffed again. And both Uncle and BIL's cars were loaded to capacity. And they were still packing stuff ! Luckily, it was Spring Cleaning weekend for their neighborhood, so they could trash nearly anything they chose not to pack - but they weren't getting rid of much besides what didn't go at the yard sale.

 

But Friend and I scored some pantry stock - spices and canned foods, cleaning supplies, and canister staples. Since Friend is having financial problems too, I made sure he got the bulk of whatever he could use. But I still ended up with several Mal-Wart sacks of refrigerator goodies, cans, a new Swiffer with cleaning pads, boxes of inkjet printer business card stock, photo paper, transparencies, and résumé stationery. It was very generous of Uncle to let us have so much -  although to him, it was otherwise trash - and while BIL isn't moving out of state, he was fine with us taking the leftover groceries. Possibly because he was overwhelmed, and that was one less matter for him to deal with.

 

Friday finally ended at 3:30am, technically Saturday. I was so wiped out, and poor Beloved had worked all day, then come home and had to work even longer ! DFIL was still not well, but he knew we couldn't do much if Dearest Son was with us, so he ended up going to grand-dad's after all. We'd loaded and unloaded the truck six times, parked the two loaded 14-ft trailers where they could be locked up, and let Uncle and BIL crash wherever they chose. We were simply too tired to futz with anything more.

 

At 9am this morning, we were awake and ended up going back to the house. I thought we'd be locked out, but the house was wide open, so, believe it or not, Uncle and BIL now thought it was a great idea to get the last of whatever was still in the house - what they'd abandoned - and load it onto our truck ! This included plants, cabinets, shelves, plant pots in the backyard, ten year old garden hoses... even a planter that weighed over 300 pounds ! Beloved and I couldn't believe it. And yes, the one 'little light load' they asked us to get became two loads, one of which was so heavy, it bent a load spring and the massive planter dug a huge dent into Dearest's tailgate. No apology offered. Just a wince and a shrug. Their cars were also loaded up again, and our garage is so full, we're storing some stuff in our living room.

 

But, amazingly, we got the last of the trash out just as the collection truck showed up, about 2pm. Beloved and I stopped for a late lunch, then dropped the last load off at Granny and Grand-dad's, where BIL is renovating their garage into his apartment. Fairly slowly, because it depends on Beloved having time to do most of the work. Since Beloved rearranged his work schedule for this frantic move mess, he had the rest of today off - which we spent hanging drywall in the garage. Dearest came home with us, and after delivering BIL's bed, it was 10pm. What a day. But there's no reason for us to ever return to the now completely empty house. Alleluia.

 

So. We still have two loaded trailers and a garage fulla stuff. Just temporarily, though. Uncle has an appointment next week, and when that's over, he's going to load his stuff from the trailers and our garage to his rental truck, and move to the next stage of his life. We'll then return the borrowed trailer, consolidate the rest to our trailer, and take it down to BIL for him to unload however he chooses. And then, this crazy, last-minute mess will be over.

 

I'm already trying actively to forget the whole thing happened ! 

 

No time for pretty pictures... you'll find out why soon.

 

Spent on Embroidery Designs and Sets : $1.50

 

So far, I've had a couple of days of nice surprises, but today had a potentially bad one. Remember Uncle, who's moving soon, and just last week, we had the yard sale with ? Well, the house he, BIL, and Beloved Hubby's grandmother (may she rest well with her Beloved) lived in has finally closed. It's been weeks of frustration, misfiled paperwork, nonsensical delays, and other such pains, but that's all in the past. Should be great news - Uncle's had to jump through enough hoops to make it happen.

 

Only problem is, the new owners are giving him less time than expected to move out. He thought he had 'til month's end. Nope. Every day he still has 'personal items' in there, he has to pay a fee - kind of a fine, really. Starting at midnight tonight. BIL thought he had at least two weeks to get his stuff packed and moved, so he hasn't exactly been right on it, to Uncle's chagrin. Now, it's suddenly to-the-wire time, and I have no idea how it's all gonna get done. So, guess what we're doing this weekend, whenever Beloved isn't working ?

 

Actually, Beloved has asked me *not* to help when he's not around. He's afraid I'll overdo it and hurt m'self. And since the situation's pretty desperate, he's probably right. Especially since DFIL is ill, and won't be able to take Dearest Son this weekend - not that I'd want him in the middle of a frantic last-minute move anyway. But I'd want to make up for the urgency and lack of help, somehow. So, I'm not sure what our weekend's gonna be like, Beloved was scheduled to work most of it anyway.

 

With Dearest home and Beloved's time already overbooked, I figured I'd best find a way to amuse m'self at home. Figured I'd go ahead and get that Planet Applique.com  'Star Chef' design I showed ya'll a couple of weeks ago, maybe start work on Dearest's apron and chef's hat. Turned out, I had enough points from other purchases to get it - and two other sets I liked while they're on sale - already, for just a buck-fifty. Since the sale ends in a couple weeks, why not ? So, I have new designs for appliqué and reverse appliqué. For nearly free ! Truth be told, I had no idea she had a points plan until I saw it on my Account page. Whoo-hoo ! Most plans give you a pittance, say, a point for every dollar spent. Nice, but when you need 500 points for a $10. set, you start thinking the plan's just not worth it.

 

And, when the mail with the download links in it appeared in the ole in-box, along with it was a new survey offer from Pinecone - yaaay ! That paid back what I spent, twice over. I've done enough surveys in the last month to pay for my website for this month and next, plus embroidery designs ! Now, if I could just win one of those $500. drawings I'm always entered in...

 

 

Lucky me Thursday !

 

Current Mood : Sleepy, with dishpan hands. 

 

Current Image Notes : Here's the cover from 'Barbie in Japan', so that if you ever see it, you know to grab it ! I swear, the illustrated directions here, in Japanese, are better than some I have in 'plain' English. 

 

I had a run of good news today. A doll gown I've been trying to identify for months has revealed itself to be 2001's  'Magic Jewel' Barbie - turns out, I've had the Ken (from a yard sale) and the park swing playset (from a K-Mart) for years without realizing they were connected. Originally, she came with color change plastic jewelry strips that could be used to decorate her pink and blue gown, or worn as kid bracelets, but the two times I've ended up with the gown, the wrap and bracelets were long gone. Finally, that's solved. Not a biggie, but I'm always glad to finally have stuff like that resolved.

                       

Also, I found that, while digging in the Lab closet, I hadn't donated the doll wig after all ! Years and years ago, I found a pretty dark brunette wig at Hobby Lobby, in the markdown section. While it showed an American Girl-type clone modeling it on the packaging, and I didn't have one then, I bought it anyway. Figured that, for $1.50, I could use it for reroots, and the bag was torn enough to tell that it was good quality doll hair. Turned out, it fit the My Size Barbies quite well. But, since I really hadn't touched it except to move it out of the way, I thought I'd donated it - I know I meant to. But I must've forgotten, because there it was ! Great ! I've been trying to figure out how to buy another for Patti Playpal, once she's restored. The wigs I found were much higher than a buck-fifty. Now I don't have to worry about it anymore !

 

Last night, I updated the website with both new dresses pictured here yesterday and Tuesday, and moved some other stuff around. Only one of the 'Ten Recent Updates' is still dated '2008' ! Now I really need to sew something, so I can get that off there ! :)

 

And I noticed that the red 'leaf' dress on Bopsy is very similar to the one I made for Janet years ago. Janet's pattern came from a book commonly called Barbie in Japan, but I dunno what the real title is, since the whole thing's in Japanese. Anyway, I compared the two patterns - it's no wonder the freebie pattern gaps at the top. The Japanese one is much better designed. Truth be told, I'll probably toss the unidentifiable pattern, since I already have a better one. No sense altering it either - I couldn't give the altered mystery one away knowing it was flawed, and I can't violate the author's rights by distributing the better Japanese one. Ranks, but I'm glad I realized it before I poured hours into altering the other one.

 

I also ran into something else I usually meet head-on in spring - the classic, 'If I can afford to buy it, I could make it myself even cheaper'. Thanks to Dearest Son's Back to the Future car-love, I have some eBay Bucks to spend. Not much, but it'd be nice to have a small discount on something. Problem is, the stuff I can afford to buy, I can make. I can even see how it's made, and I know which of 20+ patterns I could use to replicate it. So I think my Bucks will expire, but that's fine. At least it wasn't much !

 

Finally caught up on the dishes. So tomorrow, I can hop up on the laundry. Never ends, does it ?

So, I think my perfectionistic tendencies are finally fading...

 

Current Mood : Eager to sew some more !

 

Spent a bit of time puttering in the Lab. It felt so good ! Came across the Pak 'Silk Sheath' dress I made a few months ago, from Aileen's Petite Fashions Pattern #43. Never put fasteners in the back because I was debating tossing it, or dressing one of the yard sale dolls in it, but it was forgotten when the time came. Again, I used a print that wasn't quite right for the pattern - a Christmassy holly - for a sleeveless snug sheath. I fully intended for this to be a rough trial effort only, so I didn't care what the fabric print was. Of course, it turned out fairly well, which surprised me. I have somewhat of a terrible track record with APF #135, 'Modern Art'. Since this one had a similar collar, finishing this one well gives me hope that one day, I'll have my 'Modern Art' clone. In a dozen colors !

 

So, with a new episode of Hoarders: Buried Alive on the cable recorder just beggin' to be watched, I grabbed the baggie of snap fasteners, scissors, and a needle and thread, and camped out on the sofa. Not only was I gonna keep the dress, but I was actually gonna sew fasteners on it. You'd be surprised how many 'finished' dresses on the website don't have closures on the back. And Odette, the Swan Lake beauty I'd gotten from the $7. GoodWill bag with a terrible haircut, was gonna model. I'd never shown ya'll what I did to fix her hair. Came out OK, I think.

 

It didn't take long to get that done. I read somewhere that vintage Barbie clothes had snaps sewn on with four 'wrap' stitches around each snap hole, each made up of two threads that matched what was used to make the outfit. Back when I first started sewing - and eschewing Velcro (tm) like a good doll clothes snob - I made the classic blunder of sewing the snap on with so much thread, it couldn't fasten. Thread got in the way ! So now, I do it the way Mattel did. Goss knows their clothes have lasted darn near forever.

 

And now I know why Beloved Hubby chortled at me when I said if hoarders were only organized, no one would know, and they could keep their stuff. One of the two on Sunday night's show - Filling the Void - was both a 'wreck' and an organized hoarder. Some rooms were piled floor to ceiling with stuff thrown any which way, others were carefully organized via see-through bins. Bins stacked floor to ceiling, with apparently several hundred different styles of animal-shaped purse. She drove me nutz. All she could do was complain about how no one understood and everyone needed to give her more patience, but it was all her crap, and she kept buying more ! Her husband is a better person than me - when she just kept carping about how I wasn't respecting her piles of stuff as I moved it to get to the furnace for a repair, I'd have started packing, and stuffed a son under each arm as I headed out the door. I felt sorry for everyone in that house, even the dog. Everyone but her.

 

I also wonder how these folks afford it all. There's no way I could fetch home a chicken-bag every few days, especially one that was 'only' thirty bucks. I know - probably better than most folk - that you can hoard and clutter without spending a dime, or one $5. 'find' at a time, but between the piles of stuff that never gets used, losing most of your living space to the point of having to find new lodging, paying for storage, and still having a shopping addiction... I just don't know how they can afford it. There are often good things that come with limited funds that you're not even aware of... I can't imagine how packed my closet would be if I wore a frequently-discounted size !

 

However, I am letting go of one of my limitations. Long time ago, I said to m'self that, once a design was in Brody's memory, I was gonna embroider it. Because otherwise, it'd just stay there until I did. Kinda silly of me to do that to m'self. A couple of the designs on Brody right now were there for Dearest - and he's either outgrown or moved on from being interested in them. So now, I can erase designs off Brody whenever I need the space to create something else. Not gonna hold m'self back anymore.

I actually got my big ole butt in the Lab for something besides cleaning !

 

Current Mood : Happy with me !

 

I actually sewed today ! Yes, the pretty little dress on Bopsy. It's very simple, took less than an hour to cut out and sew, and came from a free pattern I found online. Unfortunately, I printed it out once, didn't save it to my computer, and when that hard drive went belly-up, it took the bookmarks I had with it. Including that one. I had to make it a drawstring neck, because the collar piece I also printed and cut out vanished. I spent several hours this afternoon trying to find it again, but no luck.

 

Really, it's just as well. I need to make several changes - that 1/8-inch hem and seam allowance is a pain ! It was nice to learn I could still do it, but I don't like to. That kind of fussiness isn't very fun. The finished dress fits the classic and TNT bodies well, but Bopsy's smaller body makes the top pucker a bit. Oh, well. It still looks cute on her, and I sewed ! It felt good to futz with tiny darts and little hems, and have something neat to show for it, made from a small square found in the Scraps shelf. Even if it's a very Summery dress made with a very Fall-print fabric. (grin) I always do that. The black ribbon was also on the cart, hanging out on the ribbon dowels. It's kind of funny that nearly all the spooled ribbon I own fit on the cart dispenser - but the loose kind, I barely have space to store any more, there's so much of it !

 

I really, really love that cart. It made after-sewing cleanup so easy that I actually did it ! For once, the Lab was cleaner at the end of a project than at the beginning. I still have a box of Barbie props to store, but otherwise, the Lab only needs a bit of a vacuuming and it's squeaky-clean !

 

This weekend, I hope to start on the chair cover. Main reason that's so up in my head is because the blanket I use to keep either me or the cat from damaging it keeps slipping. Every time I get up and sit back down, I have to adjust it. Originally, I was just gonna make a slip-on cover for the top of the chair, but after looking around, I've decided to try a full-out custom slipcover. I'll probably make a small cushion to go between cover and chair, but that'll be it.

 

Other than that, it was a busy enough day. Got an hour's worth of dishes done, and did some general tidy work. Still trying to re-establish a balance between Dearest Son's schoolwork, housework, and 'me' time, but it's not very easy. I hope to figure it out eventually !

Glad the 'Monday Shuffle' worked !

 

Current Mood : A bit paranoid...

 

Didn't get to sew today, but that's fairly routine for a Monday. I usually spend today picking up from whatever we did - or didn't do - all weekend. The usual task of the day is restoring the living room to something we can live in, which can take two hours even with Dearest Son helping. Much as I love our dog Friday, his inability to pick up the stuffing from the doggie toy he destroyed, or put the trash he pulled out of the can back in is a constant source of frustration.

 

With the dining room chairs gone, Beloved Hubby was once again without a nightstand. So I cast around for another replacement, and found the large plastic storage tub I formerly used for Barbie furniture storage. I had two, but got rid of enough pieces to only need one. It was mostly empty, filling space under the TV, so Friday wouldn't get back there and chew wires or worse as a puppy. It was tall enough to work for Beloved, and I could either use the lid or just flip it and use the bottom as a surface. He was kind of amused at this latest effort.

 

That left the space open again. But I also needed a better place to store our TV trays. Yup. They fit well in the space under the TV, and I could even fit in Dearest's "Goin' to Gramma's" backpack beside them. Neat ! I could push the backpack aside for the Wii unit when needed.

 

Speaking of the Wii, I shifted a few of the board games around, and now had a space for the Thomas the Tank Engine case we use to transport it. The soft-side case was only $5. at a yard sale, and is just perfect for the Wii. I'd bought it when Dearest's interest in Thomas was waning, but the case was simply too good a deal to not buy. He still doesn't much care for it, but is OK with packing the Wii in there. Long as I don't expect him to want trains these days. Lately, it's all about the Bakugons...

 

And I did a few dishes. The three of us can use up twelve clean bowls in two days. Kitchen's still kind of a mess since the microwave and appliance shift earlier this month, and I gotta get on that. Funny how a couple days of yard sale and fun with Beloved has put me so far behind.

 

I got a little Lab time. Doll clothes are put away, and donations are packed up in various Mal-Wart style sacks. I'm cheep. Unless there's a ton of it, I always recycle free bags for donations. Pulled a length of pink out of the pile, to use as muslin for that chair cover project. Or make some clothes for me, either way. I wasn't sure what to do with the plastic grid 'crate' that used to hold fabric - it's all in the cart now ! - but as it turns out, the pieces to Patti Playpal fit in there just right. I gotta get on that project soon, as her dismembered body is starting to bug me, too.

 

There's still a box of props to put away, and that keeps getting put off. Heck, just this weekend, I finally deboxed the Kitchen Littles pots and pans set I bought months ago. Mostly because that box was about three times larger than the contents, and it was in the way. I really should have gone back in there after dinner and finished up, but this article led me to read several others, and there went the night.

 

Ya'll may have noticed I don't really play video games. Aside from a few rounds of pinball on the Wii or a quick game of Suburban Cat Herder online, I just don't have the time or even the interest. Plus, I got to see up-close what an addiction to a game like EverQuest can do, so I simply don't go there. I don't have time to do what I want to - how would I have hours to spend with digital elves ? Not to mention the $15./month fees.

 

But after reading this article -> http://www.cracked.com/article_18461_5-creepy-ways-video-games-are-trying-to-get-you-addicted.html  <- there's no way I ever will. Skinner boxes and being pushed into repetitive actions that aren't even fun for a negligible reward while ignoring Life frankly scares me. It's a fascinating article, even with the sensational title and the fact that it's from former Mad rip-off Cracked. Several other articles are referenced within, all of them pretty darn scary from a psychological standpoint.

 

Well. I'm gonna have fun getting to sleep tonight ! Especially since BIL is trying to get Beloved back into EverCrack...

A day spent sorting what ya got is better than a day buying more !

 

Current Mood : Possibly catching a cold...(atchhooo !)

 

Another early morning - but I was home, instead of in a garage ! DFIL ended up not going to the AirSoft games, so I had two free hours between Beloved Hubby leaving and Dearest Son arriving. I seriously considered going back to bed, but instead, I puttered. Hung up a few stars in the kitchen that had been outside my Lab door, opened Molly-car's trunk and retrieved the (mostly useless) gate I snagged from Uncle's garage, and took care of a few little jobs I'd been meaning to get done eventually. The star basket I used to have hanging up is now holding flea treatments that kept falling off the top of the fridge, and it kinda looks nice up there. I still have one star basket to do something-or-other with, but all the rest are either donated, sold, or repurposed.

 

I snagged the gate from the garage Thursday, hoping to use it to block Friday from my Lab, and still leave the door open. Unfortunately it's really old, and the tension rod probably gave out five years ago - all I can do is prop it against the doorframe. But it is a bit easier to negotiate around than the milk crates I was using. What I'd really like is the top-of-the-stairs swinging gate we had when Dearest was a baby. Not even sure if they still make them. I'll see what the local stores have. It doesn't have to be heavy-duty, it just has to keep Friday out. A plank of wood tall enough would work. Hmmm...

 

Anyway, I spent a good part of the Lab morning and early afternoon filling up my new rolling cabinet ! I really like it. I shoved all the fabric scraps in the bottom drawer, and the shoebox of fabric with the new pieces in the middle one. The top one is a junk drawer - with bits and pieces of doll clothes needing repair, tutorial printouts, random notions, you name it. The damaged doll clothes were in a small Lucite makeup case, but that's empty now, and I'll probably donate it. Decided to go ahead and ditch a few doll clothes while I was at it. So, a bit more space ! And some stuff to donate. I swear, I could have a yard sale every time I get into a cleaning mood.

 

I think I know what's going on with my sudden drive for organization again. Heck, I watch two 'Hoarders' shows - that's bound to affect how I see my piles of stuff. Beloved was surprised I wanted a storage cabinet, but part of me honestly believes that the main difference between hoarders and collectors is storage organization. Most hoarders, if they organized their stashes, could easily pass for collectors, have the stuff they love, and have living space. Long as they take out the trash ! I know I hoard - dolls, fabric, books, and other silly things - but if I can keep it organized and picked up, it doesn't look like a hoard. Even though we all know it is.

 

Beloved brought home lunch, and fixed the old gate - turned out that it worked, I just didn't know how. It screws out to fit the doorframe, and back to allow passage. I can deal with that. I enjoy not having to spend money and finding something that'll work as a garage freebie. And Beloved's happy too, since he doesn't have to custom-make me a half-door ! Even DC is OK with it, since he can easily jump the gate to escape Friday. I was worried the gate was a bit high, but DC's a cat, he can jump over anything. The milk crates were probably more of a challenge to him than the gate is.

 

Once the new cart was loaded with stuff - including most of the upper cubbies - I figured it was high time to clean out my pattern cabinet. I've been shoving stuff in there any ole way, and one shelf was nothing but unsorted pattern pieces. I grabbed Beloved's old business cards and went back in. Those cards come in handy, long as there's nothing written on the back. They're just the right size for the contents pockets on the new cabinet's drawers, and I've used 'em before to label the pattern cabinet. I figured this clean-out would shuffle many drawer contents, so I could use more business cards to update the labels. Then store any leftovers in a cart cubby.

 

Two hours later, I had a bag of trash, a few more donations, and a well-labelled pattern cabinet and cart ! All the pattern pieces were filed correctly, a buncha stuff I'd held on to for no other reason than it was mine was gone, and I freed up a whole drawer for other stuff. Now, when I'm watching a design stitch out, I can flip through a magazine, since there's space for them now. I can find all the doll hair care items, and my little 'office supply' drawer is nice and tidy. I probably still have about 50 old business cards, but I'm sure they'll be used eventually. Beloved couldn't believe I still had them - or how I used 'em !

 

There's not a lot left to clean in the Lab - there's doll clothes to put away, and I have to bag up donations and put a milk crate fulla stuff elsewhere in the house. But after that, the Lab's ready for business ! I hope to get to the doll clothes tonight. Found out the Disney Princess plastic placemat I got at Dollar Tree last week is the exact same size as my rotary cutting mat, so I may use it as a cheery cover. The cutting surface is a bit tidier now, since the tools I had on it are now in the cart. Should be easier to cut fabric out now.

 

And after all this cleaning, I really *really* wanna sew something !

Rollin', rollin', rollin'....keep those craft ideas a-rollin'....new cart !

Current Mood : Thrilled

 

You may find this hard to believe, but Beloved Hubby and I were so wiped out from the day's labors yesterday that we were both in bed at 9pm. Best sleep I've had in weeks. But it was really hard to get going for another day in the garage - especially when I had nothin' to sell this time.

 

But a promise is a promise, so off I went - and was back home an hour later. Uncle said it was gonna be too slow for both of us to be there, bored out of our brain-cases, so he'd sit it, and I could have the day. How sweet ! I wished him luck and skittered off, once things were set out the way he liked, and he had a book and a beverage. I like to make sure everyone's comfy. He called us two hours later, to say he'd made $27. and was shutting it down.

 

So I had a whole free day ! And Beloved Hubby's scheduled job got delayed 'til Monday since the tile guys weren't done yet. Wow. We *both* had a whole day off unexpectedly. What to do with it ?

 

We ended up going shopping - even to some thrift stores - in a nearby military town. Beloved wanted to look for camo clothes, for AirSoft, I wanted to look at...well, everything. But about the only thing that I really liked were some really old - like 1940s old - patterns. Too bad they had price stickers all over the envelopes. I would have tried to make something from them otherwise. But I may yet go back for some. They really were awesome.

 

Yeah, after selling nearly 30 dolls and a buncha props and the Castle, I wasn't really in much of a mood to shop for more. But Beloved insisted that the cash from the garage sale was mine to spend, any way I wanted. So far, I'd only bought breakfast. I figured that, once we were done at the Army/Navy surplus, I'd hit Mal-Wart, and pick out which fan I wanted for the Lab. I could get the repro floor one, that I'd always considered too expensive at $40. It was all I could think of that I wanted. Even if it was raining and the coldest day of Spring so far.

 

But first, we peeked into Michael's Crafts. I'm still on the hunt for more 6mm craft foam, and Beloved wanted to look around too. We were actually on our way out - no foam -  when I noted the 50% off sale on 'scrapbooking' storage and furniture. And I really liked that cart ! Three fabric pull-out drawers on a white MDF frame, a buncha cubbies on top, with wheels and a ribbon dispenser side. Hmmm... half-off $89.99...is doable !

 

So, soon Beloved had the camo he wanted, and was more than happy to put my new rolling cabinet together. It's great ! Rolls pretty well, even on carpet. For some reason, one of the pull-out drawer bottom pieces was missing, but Beloved cut a square from the box it came in, and that works well. I'm using a photo from the box it came in because I don't have mine filled up yet ! I get some serious Lab time tomorrow, since Beloved's got AirSoft - and a new camo set for it.

 

I'm amazed at how much bigger the computer area and Beloved's Studio look without all the dining room chairs around. Yup, sold 'em - they were one of the first items gone. We barely finished getting 'em out of his truck. Beloved's now re-thinking his computer desk and Studio furniture...

Yard sale is a 'go' ! And happily, most of it went !

 

Current Mood : Tired but pleased

Spent on fabric and patterns : $17.86

 

Since it only rained a bit, and even then it was two minutes at a time, the garage sale was a 'go' - and I'm glad. I sold pretty much everything I brought, and made a bit over $60. ! Cleared quite a bit of space, too. Uncle had one customer who bought darn near everything, and kept coming back for more. He'll be back tomorrow to pick up a table he was using for display, and I'd bet what I made that he'll pick up just a few more things.

 

Beloved Hubby was so sweet. Since he was working locally, he swung by and picked me up for lunch and a break, my first one since we got there. The sale was scheduled from 8am to 2pm - and when we rolled up at 7:40, there were already shoppers on the sidewalk ! I got Uncle while Beloved unloaded our stuff, and it was go-go-go from there. We really didn't have much sit-down time at all, the whole day. Luckily, though, it was raining when we brought our lunches back, and we three had a little picnic with Taco Bell. BTW, the XL Chalupas are delicious.

 

Uncle must've thanked me a dozen times, and offered me some extra cash for helping, but that's not why I was there. I had a good time, and I wanted to help him start his new life with as many bucks as possible - and since I couldn't give him money, what I could give was time. So I refused, and said I'd had too much fun to want cash for it... but it sure felt good to make a few bucks on the stuff I'd normally donate, or trade it to Brenda for about half of what I got today, and that in credit for already overpriced stuff.

 

Not sure how tomorrow's gonna go - Uncle doesn't have that much stuff left to sell. I think it'll be one of those 'cruise' days, when nearly everyone drives by really slowly, but hardly anyone stops. Still, even if he doesn't make much tomorrow, he did very well today, so he should be pretty happy !

 

The 'buys everything' guy came back just as we were shuttering things, and so I ended up staying 'til nearly 3. But I decided to hit Hancock Fabrics anyway. Found the two patterns I was hunting, decided to get both. When they're 99c each, I tend to just go with it. With that decided and done, I had time to wander the rest of the temple to fabric - and I found two of the Barbie cottons I'd seen on In The Pink, the two I most wanted ! They were both kinda gaudy, really, but I bought a yard and a half of the pink, and a half-yard of the black and white. Might get more later. Just not sure if I'm making a shirt for me or a chair slipcover from the pink yet. Shoot, next 40% off coupon, I may get enough for both. Right now, with no discounts, they're $9./yd

 

Yeah, that's the latest project idea. Won't leave me alone. I've looked at about twenty versions, with or without directions, and it pretty much boils down to making a paper version, sewing a muslin, then making a final one. So far, I'm leaning towards one like this - http://lifewithmonkey.wordpress.com/2008/09/01/the-bunny-butt-chair-cover/  . I like it, but ya'll know me, I'm lazy and want someone else to do the measuring and cutting for me ! 

Yard sale... or rained out ?

 

Current Mood : Sleepy -but both eager and worried

 

Spent about three hours today getting ready for Uncle's yard sale tomorrow and Saturday. I have 32 dolls hoping to find new homes - including many Little Disney Princess duplicates. There's four Cinderellas, three Auroras, and several more. I hope someone will choose to take them home. It took me a while to find all of them clothes ! Half our living room is fulla stuff ready to go, priced and everything.

 

I'm hoping even harder that the expected rain is hard enough to encourage Uncle to cancel. Seriously, he's expecting to have it anyway, rain or shine, in the garage. Which is already crammed with stuff - I have no idea where I'd put the dolls and the Swan Lake castle, much less the six dining room chairs, three boxes of books, and a buncha this-and-that. Plus, when it rains, most bargain hunters assume yard sales have been cancelled, and don't even bother to go out, except to indoor arenas like flea markets. And if folk do go out prowling, they'll still have to run through the rain to the garage, since he's locking the entire rest of the house up. Prudent, to be sure, but it really doesn't give him much room if sale items can't be displayed on the driveway or lawn. He has no porch at all.

 

Plus, I can't say I'm really looking forward to being stuck in a single-car garage with no room to move for six to eight hours Friday and Saturday. I promised, and I'll do it, but I still don't see how it'll work if two people can barely walk around in the garage now, which doesn't have a single thing of mine in it.

 

I'd do a slammin' rain dance, if I knew how !

 

Meanwhile... Dearest Son's granddad picked him up today, so I'd be free to help Uncle. Went with Beloved Hubby to work, then to Dollar Tree and GoodWill. Nothing at GWill, but I noted that DTree now sells hair coloring.

 

And in the ole in-box, I got a message from Hancock Fabrics, detailing their latest sale. Simplicity patterns are 99c, and $1.99 for Butterick ones. Went through their sites and thought about a couple, so I then did the next logical thing - went through the patterns I had. The two me-sized ones I already have, more or less, and one of the three doll patterns was already there. I scratched those off the list and tucked the two remaining numbers into my purse for later. I can decide a bit better when I look face-to-face at the actual pattern. Since the sale runs through Sunday, I have time. And, since I had the doll pattern tote out, I put everything in order. First by doll size - Barbie, baby, Elphie, American Girl, and Others - then by pattern company. Wow. So much potential in there - most untouched. I gotta sew !

 

Well, here's hoping for tomorrow. No matter what I end up doing, I hope it works out !