Aweigh goes the scale!

Tonight I promised to not step on the scale for a month. OUCH!

This one's gonna be tough.

I hope when I get back on, I don't look like the piggie that's on this one!

Another Quilt!

Here's a photo of a quilt that was given to me last week.  My friend Val picked it up somewhere and gave it to me!  It needs a little mending but nothing I can't do. As long as I take the time to do it! It's all polyesters and HAS to be from the 70's or late 60's .  I love the paisleys in it.

Puzzle Quilt for the Timothy School

I have been a busy little beaver lately!

Here's a sneak preview of the quilt I am working on for the annual fundraiser for the Timothy School in Wayne, Pa.

I am going to border it with 4 colors, like the Autism Puzzle Piece symbol.  Red, blue, yellow, and green.

Then it's off to Kristina @ http://www.froggybottomquilting.blogspot.com/ where she'll work her magic!

Then it's off to the big silent auction!

Hopefully it will bring in lots of $$!

Ladybug

My girlfriend in Colorado is opening a quilt store soon - I am soooo excited for her and my other dear friend, who get's to work there.  I am jealous! There's only a few things I'd rather do than that!

Her store is called Ladybugz Quilt Company because she loves ladybugs.

So today, I made her a nice little penny wool rug w/ a ladybug.

I hope to make a pattern soon and when I do, I'll list it on Etsy!  

More from the desert...

#1 - The computer I use for pictures is down and at the computer hospital. I am bummed. I feel detached from the world. Yet, I feel FREE!

#2 - Mcgyver & 2 hunks worked to clear a garden area for me yesterday. They still have work to do in it, but I will have an additional 4 x 10 area. I am hoping for a 6 x 10.  I weeded the side garden area  yesterday and also by the peach & almond tree. Filled up a huge container with weeds. Today, hunk #4, Chicklet, and I went to the nursery and bought some plants. We didn't get too much, as we have some seeds here at home we're going to plant as well. We bought 4 tomato plants, 2 summer squash, 2 zucchini, 2 cucumbers, 2 watermelons, 4 marigolds, and one lemon balm plant.  I have some heirloom tomato seeds, peach seeds, apricot, red & green pepper, and lemon seeds were going to start soon. Sooner than later.

#3 - Diet is going okay, not great.  One part I miss w/ the computer gone is tracking my Fitbit info. I guess I could plug it into this desktop and let it sync. I should do that for sure.

#4 - It's getting hot. Don't like hot. Like a gentle warm w/ a nice, cool breeze. Someone needs to get my order down right!

#5 - Going to go on a quick walk w/ my friend/neighbor. Need to get some more exercise in!

Going a Little Green!

 I've been hearing about homemade laundry detergent lately.   I have a few friends who have made it. Some have made liquid and others dry detergent.

I had the ingredients on hand to make the dry:

1 bar Ivory Soap (or Fels Naptha), grated

1 cup Borax

2 cups baking soda.

(the recipe calls for washing soda (use gloves) but I had baking soda here. I had the family size. See one of my original posts re 'burning down the house.))

I picked up a used cheese grater at the thrift store yesterday for grating the soap. I thought it would be harder than it was to remove the soap off the grater. It was easy w/ a brush.

Anyway, I grated the Ivory Soap Bar into an old candy bucket.  

 

  Looks like coconut, no?

Then I added the Borax and baking soda.

  

Then I mixed it up well!

  

Wouldn't you know it? All my laundry was caught up. How often does that happen?

Anyway, I scrounged up some socks, underwear, and a few t-shirts for my 'experiment'!

I added 2 scoops of detergent. Each scoop measures approximately 1 1/2 TBSP of detergent.

  

2 scoops! No candy!

  

The hard part about this is that the detergent doesn't produce suds, probably because there is no phosphate. I read that most detergents that advertise 'Phosphate Free' actually substitute something I can't pronounce instead. It's called nitrioltriacetic acid (NTA), which is actually carcinogenic in small amounts. Can you imagine big amounts? 

I feel like I defeated my purpose of saving money. I usually do not wash such a small load, and on hot. Yikes. But... I had to have a picture of it washing!  It's all in the name of science! You can see the dirty water. Hey - I have 4 boys, what do you expect?  

I will let you know how it performs and how long it lasts. I know it's cheaper than Era or Gain!

** UPDATE 4/4/11**
I love the soap! It seems to get everything clean and it and the clothes smell fresh! I even scored a bottle of the liquid last week and I like that a lot too!  I am making another batch of dry, as I ran out this morning. This time I am using the Fels Naptha soap and Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (both available at Smiths in the laundry/softener aisle).  The Fels Naptha is harder to grate, took about 10 minutes longer to do so, but it smells good.

Manic Monday!

It is Monday.

It is manic.

Think I'll write a song about it....