Tuesday-9am

Once again, it's been a whole week since I've posted so I apologize to the gang over at Elizabeth's T Stands For Tuesday because this is a long post.  Lots of pictures...but, no--none of Ian.  Sorry.  Let's just say that I had quite overdone it and pushed myself a bit far.  Zombie-woman has been home for ten days...well, except for yesterday when I popped over briefly to drop something off and lay my eyes on the new family (Dagan came home for lunch) but forgot my camera.  I was finally more functional, at least, by this last Saturday and got a couple projects finished.

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The clouds were magnificent last night... 

...as the slowly setting sun lit them up. 

This morning it was the newly risen sun lighting from above. 

[Aside: Couldn't believe these people parking that big UHaul and unloading right in the middle of the parking lot yesterday.  How rude.]

Earlier in the week it was nice enough to have the windows open day and night--ahhh!  Karma loves her spy spot with the window cracked (can't have it open much farther if I am working at the table or everything gets blown away).

But it does make it difficult for a girl to get her beauty sleep when all that sound is not muffled by the glass and one is exceptionally snoopy by nature--LOL! 

I finally could handle doing something extra Saturday--beyond what I absolutely had to do, you know? 

Karma interrupted me for some neck scratches... 

...but I finally worked on the last three onesies that were left over from Leah's shower. 

One of them had a long black crooked line on the front...which I incorporated into a crooked smiley face...and added a scribbly rainbow over that.

A simple #1 Son. 

And then my favorite!  I searched to find the Coke font, fought with my printer for 45 minutes (now that doesn't want to work, either) to print this in black so I could see it through the fabric, and used a red Sharpie fine pen (hope that won't bleed or fade when washed).

Front: Milk (trademark symbol) Mama 

Back: It's the Real Thing 

Dagan loves Coke so I thought he'd get a kick out of it.  He did.

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Then...the fauxdoris.

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I have been patiently pressing and leeching the coconut oil from the leather covers about 4-5 times a week using computer paper, newspaper, cloth, and paper towels.  Tried baking out the oil in the oven, too--but that only smelled up my apartment for days.  The oil stains have never ended!  Never!  Who would have thought coconut oil had such staying power!  I knew I had been doing this for over two months, right?  Well, I just went to actually check on my blog this morning--I started messing with these covers the end of February!!  OMG!  Just shows you how I can adapt things into my life--LOL!

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Anyways, yes--I am very patient, but I had finally reached the end of my rope.  Oh!  Oh!  And I had also tried waxing the inside of the smaller cover to see if that might protect the booklets from oil stains.  Nope.  Leeched oil same as usual.

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What else could I do?  I was trying to think of a way to line the inside...and I remembered this plastic pouch I saved.  Was packaging for something or other years ago.  I thought the plastic snaps were cool.  I was so excited when I found it and it was the right size...I forgot to take a picture before I started cutting it up.  But here you can see that one side of the pouch was clear plastic and the other was textured.  I'd already cut the sides off and cut down the textured side.

TaDa!!  Here's the small fauxdori with the liner. 

I used the real store-bought "extra" midori traveler's notebook bands. 

Had cut notches top and bottom of the leather to keep the bands in place. 

Since there were four bands in a package--two dark brown and two light brown--I could fit four booklets in each fauxdori. 

Do you remember when I made up all the booklets? 

The liner will at least keep the oil from staining the paper booklet covers, I hope. 

The 140 lb watercolor paper booklets do not want to lie flat, that's for sure.  Especially in the smaller one for some reason.  I even tried clamping them overnight at the spine.

And here's the larger one... 

...with the clear plastic liner. 

This one lies flatter. 

I was so thrilled to finally have these put together--finished--even if I don't like the covers!

I have extra booklets for inside... 

...and I can remove the watercolor ones if they drive me crazy--LOL! 

They each have a variety of writing and drawing paper booklets...

 ...and then the watercolor booklets.  But they don't have to have four booklets in them.  I just wanted to see how they'd be maxed full.

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I will probably end up replacing the leather covers.  The oil is never going away and, of course, I also have to worry about where I set these down, too.  But at least I did get them together.  Finally.  And I know it would be worth investing in more leather.  ;)

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So that is what I've been up to.  Basically nothing but R&R for a whole week and then quite a bit of fun puttering for three days--LOL!  Feeling more like my old self again.  Hopefully won't be a week before I post again...and I'll remember to take pictures next time I visit at D&L's.  ;) 

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Happy, happy Tuesday!!

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"You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith, and hope."

Thomas Merton