WOYWW 260 -- Let's Celebrate!!

Holy moly.  It's Wednesday once again.  Not only that, it's the Five Year Anniversary of WOYWW!!  Congratulations to everyone that participates - and oh how I wish I was at the Crop.  Just reading Julia's recent post brought a tear to my eye.  Look at all the wonderful people I would meet.  Yep, it's going on my Bucket List!

It's time again to visit some creative people all over the world.  Thanks to our hostess, Julia, who started this five years ago!  Go HERE and start visiting!

I thought I'd have a big reveal this week but unfortunately I don't.  Now my goal is next week.  Instead, it's my boring chair with my never ending knitting project.   

Iced tea, t.v. remote, knitting and my phone on the other arm of the chair.

Here's my dining room table with some recent purchases.  I found some great buys at Tuesday Morning.  Of course, this isn't what I went in for!!

It's the week of the ATC Anniversary swap.  Yep, that's an asterisk behind my name.  Can't wait to see who I'm swapping with.  Annie and Nan are already on my swap list!

As always, I will visit those that visit me (please leave me your number) and those that end in the same number as me.  Please be patient as it may not be until the weekend that I'm able to visit.

I hope the rest of your week goes well!

Peace,
Kay    

Friday Smiles - Week 70!

Hello everyone.  Happy Friday!  The end of another week.  I'm linking up with Annie at  A Stitch In Time.   If you need a smile and a happy day visit and hopefully a smile will be brought to your face (and maybe even a giggle).

This week I'm sharing photos of my family.  I'm a big animal person; always had a pet growing up and have always had at least one dog in my life.

This is Muffin.  She's a poodle that I adopted from the local Shelter.  She's full of personality and love.   We were lucky to find eachother.  She had been adopted and was returned to the Shelter within a month.  Turns out she has lots of allergies.   I was a bit mislead by the Shelter as to the extent of what was going on with her.  Let's just say that I've invested a mini-vacation on Muffin.  Bless her heart.  I have to give her shots every other week and pills at least three times a week.  She's a trooper and I love her.

This little cutie pie is Poppy.  She's a yellow sided green cheek conure.  She can say her name and "sweetheart."  Now, I KNOW she's talking to me when she says that!  I've heard her mimic my laugh but she doesn't do that too often.  When she hears the key in the lock as I arrive home she starts whistling, alerting Muffin and Katie to my arrival. 

This little sweetie is Katie.  She's a dog that I was fostering.  Have you heard that story?  You volunteer to foster a dog until it finds a home?  Well, I flunked the fostering part!  She had a very difficult life before arriving at my house.  I've had her for about nine years and she's still a bit skittish when meeting new people.  Bless her heart.  Her muzzle and ears were solid black when I got her.  She loves laying out in the backyard despite having a doggie door and can lounge on the furniture.  She was excited when Muffin joined the family as her previous companion, Daisy, had passed away.  Muffin has even taught Katie how to play!  Can you imagine a dog not knowing how to play?  My little love.

These three bring smiles to my face, happiness to my heart and warmth to my soul.

Peace,
Kay

WOYWW 258 - Snow in MAY in New Mexico?

Holy moly.  It's Wednesday (actually Tuesday, but hey) and it's snowing!

It's time again to visit some creative people all over the world.  Thanks to our leader, Julia, who started this all almost five years ago!  Go HERE and start visiting!

So, what's on my desk?  My knitting, egg carton (that I know I'll use somehow), power cords that don't go to that electric drill (still looking) and my camera case.

Isn't this pretty!

I've been knitting.  This time I'm knitting a lap blanket for my friend's daughter.  Since I've knitted the one sister two baby blankets I thought it would be nice to knit a lap blanket for the other daughter.  Does that make sense?  These colors are perfect for her.  My workspace this week has been my trusty rocker/recliner.  I love my chair.  Needless to say this is knitting weather!  

As always, I will visit those that end in the same number as me and those that visit me (please leave your number).  It will probably be the weekend before I'm able to do most of my visiting.

I hope you are having a wonderful week.

Peace,
Kay

WOYWW - 257 Ripping Away

Hello all.  Happy Hump Day!  That means it's WOYWW.  The party is hosted by Julia at  Stamping Ground.  Can you believe we are coming up on the Five Year Anniversary!  To celebrate there will be an ATC swap.  You can find out more about that HERE.   I'm planning to participate; but not on the scale that I have in the past.

So my desk.  After all, this is why you're here.  If you read my previous post you'll know how much pleasure I get out of ripping fabric into strips.  Let me just say that I'm planning to make myself a vase and also some hangers.  I picked up a pair of my capris that are made with lovely fabric and there it was, the dreaded hanger mark.  I don't "DO" ironing so a little cushion on the hanger is just what I need!

I also bought this book on sewing.  I took home economics in junior high school but that was decades ago.  Yep, I need a refresher on what the selvage is, etc.  After all, I don't plan to rip all the fabric that I have!

I finally finished the baby blanket.  It's so soft and feels so good.  I knitted this doing the seed stitch (knit 1, purl 1).   

As always, I will visit those that visit me (please leave your number) and those that end in the same number as me.  I'm off today so I'm hoping to get lots of visiting done!!

Peace,
Kay   

Fabric Vase Tutorial

Hello everyone.  I finally got in the crafty spirit!  I love ripping fabric into strips.  I'm not sure why I find this so fun and inspiring.  In the past I ripped fabric strips and wrapped them around a hanger for a little boy.  Now I'm going to make some for grown ups!

This project is for a vase.  This was such a simple and fun project.  I hope you give it a try!

The supplies you'll need: fabric, Aleene's tacky glue, vase (or even a jar), scissors.  I ended up not using the sealer.

I love the batik fabrics.

Start ripping the fabric into strips that are approximately 3/4 inch wide.  Pull off the stray threads.

Isn't this a pile of goodness!  Now you start the process of gluing the strips onto the glass.  I put down a layer of newspaper to protect my table.

You may be able to see that I overlapped the strips by just a tiny bit.  I love how the light shows through the fabric.  When the fabric made it's way around the glass I cut it and glued down the ends.

Continue wrapping the fabric until you come to the end of your glass.  This vase had a little lip on it and I didn't try to cover it.  

The finished project.  This was so simple and fun!  This one was a gift for a friend of mine.  They would also make wonderful Mother's Day gifts!

Yep, I'm going to make one for myself.  I bought a fat quarter and I think I'll have enough to make two of the vases. The vase is just over seven inches tall and 3 1/2 inches wide.

I didn't realize how well the colors in the fabric matched my lazy susan until I took this photo.

I hope you are having a wonderful day.  

Peace,
Kay

May is Lupus Awareness Month

Hello everyone,

This is me.  I suffer from SLE Lupus, Lupus Nephritis and Fibromyalgia (along with other things but this is what I want to focus on).  There is no cure for Lupus.

Lupus is Latin for wolf.  In the 18th century, when lupus was just starting to be recognized as a disease, it was thought that it was caused by the bite of a wolf.  This may have been because of the distinctive rash characteristic of lupus. (Once full-blown, the round, disk-shaped rashes heal from the inside out, leaving a bite-like imprint.) 

Common initial and chronic complaints include fever, malaise, joint pains, myalgias, fatigue and temporary loss of cognitive abilities.  Also, mouth and nose sores, numbness in hands and feet, fingers turning white and/or blue when cold, headaches, loss of hair, anemia, swelling in hands, legs and feet. 

I'm sharing my story now because May is Lupus Awareness Month.   If you want to learn more go to the Lupus Foundation of America website HERE.

Image from Pinterest

I was diagnosed with SLE Lupus and Lupus Nephritis in December, 2010.  I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1992/1993.  It's a double whammy as far as my immune system goes.  My body thinks my own cells and tissue are bad so it attacks itself.  I look fine so most of the time people don't understand how I can feel so bad.  Most of the time I don't share how bad I'm really feeling.

I've experienced painful/swollen joints and muscle pain on a daily basis.  I've had so many symptoms that it took years to realize they were all caused by the same thing!  One huge problem I have is memory loss.  I make jokes about this as a coping mechanism.  It definitely helps to laugh!

My body sometimes feels sore, but it works.  I don’t sleep well most nights, but I do wake up to experience another day.   A good day is when I can get out of bed and go to work!  I’m thankful, because although my life isn't perfect, it is MY life and I choose to be thankful in it, as I continue to do the best I can.


I remind myself of this often because it's important to me.  It continues to remind me that happiness is valuing what you have, and enjoying the people, places, objects and events in your life.  You can almost always enjoy the things you have and make the best of the events happening around you if you decide firmly that you will in each and every moment.  Is it easy? No, but it is definitely worth the effort!

One of my major triggers is stress.  I've tried a few different things to learn to cope; some of them have worked and some of them didn't.  It's a journey that I have to take.  For myself, for my family and for my friends.


No, life isn’t perfect, (is it supposed to be?) but it’s pretty darn good.  Do not dwell so much on creating your perfect life that you forget to live the one you have.

Peace,
Kay