Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Tuesday-10am

Been beautiful weather in the 60s and 70s...ahhh!  Today is supposed to be around 80 and rain is probably coming in tonight, but the warmer days and cooler nights are just perfect in my book.
Karma loves the windows cracked open in the morning with the shades down to keep the heat out until the sun passes over... 
...so she can be the feline spy. 
Remember the glued together baby wipes?  Well, I trimmed the ragged edges and made bookcards out of a couple of them. 
Just cut down some Rhodia paper to fit the odd size. 
What's funny is, I never paid any attention when they were white, but the baby wipes have embossed critters all over them--LOL!  Oh well.  There is going to be a real baby in the family pretty soon.  Some of you asked--Leah's due date is June 25th. 
I finally was able to order the 10 sets of cutting mats to use on the drying rack!  So now I can even dry handmade paper on there--tada! 
Karma immediately claimed them, of course.  Oops!  Private bath moment coming up. 
I actually got over to the art table a little bit--whoohoo!  
For those of you over at Elizabeth's T Stands fro Tuesday--my thermal coffee mug is usually right by my side so I thought I had a picture when I took the table shot, right?  But I had picked it up to refill with my black elixir just before I snapped the picture--so you'll have to imagine it sitting right next to the jar of watered down ModPodge--ROFL!  Sorry.  But--rest assured--it was there.  ;) 
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I have been saving the tail ends of various sample vials from Goulet Pens monthly Ink Drop for the specific purpose of finding some way to use them in art projects.  I mean, you know there'd be something that would present itself, right?
I was playing around on my strips of hockey tape I had put down on butcher paper to use under the pages of my art journal...and hopefully be able to tear off and use as homemade washi tape.  After making a proper mess of them, I sprayed color all over them, and now I am just adding stuff to jazz them up.  The hockey tape is very absorbent.  I have stamped a little on it and now I decided to play with the ink samples.  I have four sheets and played with three so far the last couple days.  The first one I used a purple ink and even used the sample vial itself to make the rings, marks and blobs.  Then I thought some oranges might be fun. 
I used some empty pill bottles and half an empty pen I was throwing away to make circles.  (Trash is such fun to play with because you can get it all gooped up and don't have to clean it--LOL!)  I either poured the ink into that tiny plastic cup or on to the white IKEA plate...
...and just made marks and stamped away. 
Made a soft edged array.
Quite addictive.  ;)
Anyways, I was over to Dagan and Leah's Weds, Thurs, and Mon.  This week I am working around my monthly order deliveries and Dagan and Leah's schedules...also Caroline comes today...but I'll be over there as much as I can.  Time is flying by.  Her sister, Michal, is going to go over to help this week, too.  Lots to do--so exciting!  I'll be able to go over after dinner tonight for several hours.  Sooooo nice to have a working car again after two years!  I can't even tell you! 
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I have been cleaning in my bedroom, too.  OMG!!  Except for these stacks of empty containers and boxes...you can see the floor again!
And I even have spaces left to be filled...
 ...as you can see!
And I can get to Karma's stroller without having to lift it over piles and boxes!  I get so excited over these shifts.  :)
Oh!  Did I mention we had another fire alarm a week or so ago?  I don't think I did.  11:38pm--I threw on my robe, zipped Karma into her stroller...but this time I just sat with Karma at the top of the stairwell here on third floor.  We've had so many false alarms in the nine years I have lived here that it is really ridiculous...and why I bought the stroller in the first place.  I didn't bother to carry her stroller down the three flights of stairs on one hip this time, though.  The firemen couldn't locate where the alarm had been set off (I asked) and were marching about the building looking at the ceilings...and didn't seem surprised to find me sitting at the top of the stairs up here, either.  Just nodded.  Nobody chastised me for not evacuating the building.  They must have left somebody here to mess with the system because it went on and off briefly two more times after the truck left.  I didn't get to sleep until about 2:30am, but I don't think Karma slept all night--LOL!  She HATES the fire alarm.  Jumpy as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockers for a day or two.
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Anyways, I digress.
I know...you are not the least surprised.
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It's an absolutely gorgeous morning.  It will probably be clouded over by afternoon again--LOL!  That seems to be the way it's been going the past week, but I am loving it!!  Miss Karma is sprawled out on the porch snoozing in the sunshine, the birds are singing, and I can see my bedroom floor.  Life is good.  :)
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Hope you're having a great week with good weather and your floors are clear--ROFL!  ;)
****
"If you have built castles in the air your work need not be lost. That is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."
Henry David Thoreau

36 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

sorry about the fire alarm!

glad you had a few days of comfy weather. we had a surprising cool down yesterday. today it is climbing back to get into the 90s again.

karma is cute.

Craftymoose Crafts said...

Wow, those little books and strips of tape you are working on look great! What a pain about the fire alarm going off. Are you sure it isn't Miss Karma just hankering for a ride in her fancy stroller? LOL!

Hope you have a happy T day!

Anonymous said...

June 25th is just around the corner!

I forget...Grandma? Nana? Personally I like Rita!

GrandmaG said...

My first born's birthday is June 27! So your grand baby might share the same birth date as my soon-to-be 39-year-old. Yikes! How do I have a son who's nearly 40!

I know exactly how you feel about cleared floors and roomy drawers and shelves. Clean and less cluttered just makes me so happy :)

Shady Del Knight said...

Seems you're on a roll, dear Rita. Life is indeed good when you have a range of daily temps in the 60s and 70s, when you have space waiting to be filled on shelves, when you can see your floors and when you have a new baby to meet and greet two weeks from now. I am very impressed by your arts and crafts talent. Watch out - Karma might be working for the C.I.A. and just waiting for you to slip up so that she can report you! :)

DJan said...

How about Nana Rita? My mother's name was Rita and that was what her grandkids called her. I am excited to know it's so close now, like any moment! You told me the baby has dropped so it might be happening this very minute! Hope Leah doesn't go over her due date like I did. It was very miserable. :-)

Anonymous said...

What a glorious day you are experiencing. Enjoy all the merry making and art activities~
Happy T to you
~Dawn

Jenny Woolf said...

Everyone seems to be enjoying beautiful weather at the moment...ah, summer!
That fire alarm - hope if it had been for real, those guys would have rescued you! :)

Zue said...

Only days away now....how exciting for you all. I just know what amazing fun you will have:)
X

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I'm SO glad you are feeling better, and being able to drive, must be a true god-send. I've never heard of that tape, but I like the results you got.

Hope Leah is ready for this new experience in her life. I know YOU are really excited. So glad for you.

Thanks for joining and sharing during T this Tuesday. Sorry I was late getting here.

Halle said...

A cat stroller!! Don't tell my kids...they'll want one. You did an awesome job cleaning and organizing...would you like to take a 4hr drive south east? ;)
Time is ticking on the baby bump...soon it will be all wiggly, sleepy and hungry and ready for lots of G-ma snuggles.
Happy Tuesday!

Cloudia said...

Your world is so different, yet so similar to mine.

We are both Comfort Bloggers :-)




ALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
=^..^= <3

Beth said...

It has poured down rain here all day!

You have some nice looking art from just messing around!

Janie Junebug said...

A friend chose to have her grandchildren call her Pita. Maybe you should be RitaPitaPan for the baby, or just Pita, or just Pan. This will probably shock the hell out of you, but I bought some fabric paint to use on the seats of my stained dining room chairs. Andi (Little Myoo, don't know if you follow her) is all craftsy and used fabric paint to redo a chair. So I bought the paint and I'm too scared to open the package because I'll probably do something horrible like drink the paint instead of my diet coke. I plan on applying the paint with a damp sponge. I can't decide if I'll just use the white paint to try to cover up the stains, or if I'll use a different bright color for each chair. I won't attempt anything fancy, and if I continue to tell myself not to open the package, then I won't do anything at all.

Love,
Janie, who is not at all craftsy but you already knew that

Linda Kunsman said...

Your baby wipe book covers are super! I do love the patterns that show-same with paper towels. Never heard of the tape you used but the painted results are fab! I've never heard of a cat stroller (but then I don't know much about the feline world)but it's a great idea. Thankfully all was OK despite losing sleep to false alarms.
PS I don't know how Karma could be comfy on hard plastic sheets:)

Robyn said...

So much going on here! Love the mark making and the knowing a new baby is on the way!
thanks for stopping gb and welcoming me here!
blessings,
robyn

Eliza said...

Thank you for visiting me today it has been quite are read to get through your post but I enjoyed every word of it. At first I didn't understand why you would have a stroller for a cat then realized because of the fire alarms etc. I have no idea what to do with those little vials either but some one will and those baby wipe books look fantastic. Glad to hear your floors are cleared so are mine, this also makes me happy. Ah the small things that matter the most.

Hugs and have a wonderful week.

Eliza

Victoria Zigler said...

Sounds like you and Karma have been having fun. Well, apart from the fire alarm incident.

Denise Price said...

Hello! I have only been up to Grand Marais once, but if I ever go again I'll be sure to look for Sven and Ole's. That's a MN name for sure. :)

After reading your post I feel compelled to try adding color to baby wipes and hockey tape. Both turned out so vibrant.

Just remember: don't drink the Mod Podge! :)

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

Having a fire alarm going off for no reason would be frustrating and I don't blame you for not going all the way downstairs and outside be different if you could smell smoke.

You are so talented

Vicki Miller said...

What a long one! My tammy is wandering all over my desk as I am writing, so I know about pussies stealing things. I do a similar thing to your masking tape with stickers from the office supply. I just keep them nearby to put all my leftovers on and then use them. Happy belated T day

Darla said...

I'm late but enjoyed your tea Tuesday post. When your coffee was missing I was afraid you'd dipped a brush in it. Not that I'd know anything about that experience, hahaha.

Darla

Harvest Moon by Hand said...

I love the idea of a cat stroller! I think our cats would love to go on a walk....though we'd have to figure a way to hook five strollers together so all the cats could go outside. ;)

Love the book cards that you made. That's interesting that they have little animals on them. I've never noticed that either.

The fire alarm sounds like a pain. That's good that you didn't go down three flights of steps. We had alarms going off periodically when I was in the college apartments. It got old after a while.

Anonymous said...

you are one of the most organized people I have ever seen. always reorganizing and making the most out of the space you have. a remarkable woman...this comes from someone who is has been described as having organized chaos. sorry haven't commented in so long. you know I follow by email, so I often don't make it here...I'm so bad about that. Boy the baby will be here before we know it! so exciting! and the baby wipes are cool! see you soon....well virtually.

AliceKay said...

I bet you're all getting excited for the baby's arrival. Extra special moment for all involved. :)

I doubt I could sleep after being scared by a fire alarm either, even if it was a false alarm.

We've had a very dreary week weatherwise (rainy, damp, and humid) all week, but the weekend promises to be another good one.

Anonymous said...

Those bookcards are lovely.

andi filante said...

That stroller cracks me up. And I'm glad to hear you're getting some nice weather. Today is absolutely PERFECT here...unfortunately, I'm stuck at work. :/

-andi

Sherry Ellis said...

Karma has a great place to spy. I wonder if anyone ever notices her.

Serena Lewis said...

Lovely cloud pic!

Karma may have been a spy in her previous life. hehe

The baby wipe bookcards look fabulous! The embossed look is a bonus. I LOVE the green, teal, purple one!

LOL at Karma and the cutting mats!

I drink coffee/tea all day long so I believe you re. your thermal mug. ;)

Interesting effects with the hockey tape.

Not long to go now before baby's arrival. Michelle came two weeks early with Mikayla and two weeks late with Maddy. It's fantastic that Pita is up and running so you'll be able to visit D & L more.

The organisation in your room is looking great! With all the false alarms, I don't blame you for not evacuating this last time. Cody would hate the fire alarm too....he's terrified of loud noises.

I hope you're having a great weekend!

Love and hugs ~ xo





Hettie said...

Haa Haa! Love the stealth side of Karma. Our old dog used to sneakily peek through the net curtains.
Well done for recycling your rubbish.
Hugs
xx

Ramblingon said...

Girl, who wouldn't have a great day after reading your creative and uplifting blog! My son lives where the fire alarm goes off too many times as well. xo

Victoria said...

Karma is way too cute...sweet thing..and beautiful creations!

Far Side of Fifty said...

You got wheels and are using them!! Soon that baby will be here...how exciting! Sounds like you have been a busy gal:)

Dee said...

Dear Rita, that Thoreau quote really fits where I am with writing right now. thanks so much for sharing it. How wonderful to have a car again. During the 18 months I had Meniere's I wasn't able to drive except every so often ---maybe once every two weeks I'd venture out to the nearby grocery store and the library. But I was a danger to myself and others in the car. So I understand how not driving--or having a car to drive--can take away not just freedom but the feeling of being free. I'm so excited that the due date is next week!!!! Peace.

Anonymous said...

You have done a good job in your art. Your small booklet looks beautiful.

Intense Guy said...

Karma betting get used to Pita rides over to D&L's! Perhaps she can hang her head out the open window while on the way? Hopefully you won't see any firetrucks then!

:)