Settling

So Monday was a rush...  As was the whole weekend all the way up to and including this moment.

This is Meri.  She's homeless in this pic.  

Her apartment was emptied and she was on her way to sign the mortgage papers.  Yay.

Here she is immediately afterwards.  As a home owner!

But that didn't mean we were done at the apartment yet.  Her roommates ran the steam cleaner on their rooms and Meri and I stuck around to clean up everything else before the final walk through with the landlord.  After that we left with two cars loaded to the brims with the last stuff.  NEVER to see that apartment again.

Well, until the landlord called Meri and said that the few items left in the garage CANNOT be left there until that evening after all, as they'd said before.  So I unloaded my van at her house and went back to get her roommates items...

Now I'll NEVER be back there again!!!  whew.

Robb helped us move her stuff in and we took a break in the kitchen before sifting stuff in.  The last time those chairs will be in there...

 Later that day, one of Meri's highschool friends and friend's boyfriend came and helped as well as a friend from church who lives close by.  Their pickup and the moving truck got unloaded in a hurry and suddenly things started shaping up.  I helped Meri unpack boxes and settle furniture here and here, over my breaks yesterday. 

She has enough furniture for 2 houses...

THEN priorities.  The internet got installed this morning but she needs to pick up a router before it's accessible.  AND the upstairs bathroom is already leaking into the living room.

AH the joys of home ownership...

AND a friend from church who just moved, gifted Meri with some china!  Isn't it pretty?

So life is a rush...  and then you write checks.

Honing Skills

It's been a wild and crazy week...  Let's see...  

Last Saturday, I attended a local town's parade where Robb was marching.  There was NO kettle corn...  Can you believe it?  sigh...  I sat in between a couple buildings in the shade where some nice breezes blew through and did some hand sewing on a couple sewing projects.

And poor Robb...  marching with woolen socks and kilt in 98 degree weather and "feels like" temp was well over 100.

He was exhausted!

I spent the afternoon and evening sewing.  Made a tunic top for me and a pair of sweat pants for Leon out of a pair of sweat pants that I'd actually bought for myself but were too small.  I had to improvise on the sizing to make the pattern fit the fabric so the pants ended up a little tight around the shins...  He LOVES them!  But they're SO "at home" pants...  You know.. when he wears more than just undersnorks around the house...

Sunday, I did some grocery shopping after church and headed home to get more sewing done and a quick visit in with my bestie, but she wasn't at the nursing home!  It had been a surprise trip back home for her, so I just went back home and got to work again.  Good for her, but I needed to get our bestie talks in.  I went on Monday instead for lunch.

Also on Monday, I took all my sewing projects to one of the offshoot sewing meetings that I attend.  Some of the same women as the ASG group, so I know them.  

They are SO creative!  Don't you just love this jacket?

And although Sue didn't SEW these pants, everyone was impressed with the details and I've been inspired for the next pair of capris I make for myself.

They were so helpful as I laid out all ten projects that I'm submitting for the fair.  Even the one that I'd spilled some Fray Check on the dress itself...  YIKES!

I had read on the Google that you can soak it in nail polish remover and I mentioned that to the ASG ladies.  One woman audibly gasped and said that that could dissolve the fibers in the fabric.

It reminded me of the time that I used SunIn in college and took my beautiful lightened hair to the salon to get a perm.  They were hesitant, so they took a bit of my hair and put it in perming solution and it turned to mush.  UGGG...  Needless to say, I cancelled the perm and just went home.  I got a perm after the bleached hair grew out but haven't gotten one in a LONG time.

In this case of the dress, I was desperate.  It doesn't grow out...  It wasn't usable with Fray Check splotching up the front in weird places and it was all over...  The ladies suggested alternatives by bow placement or pulling in the seams so it won't fit me ever anymore.  I'm not really a "bow" type person...  so the dress was wrecked no matter what.

I decided to go for it with the nail polish remover.

What did I have to lose?

Instead of soaking, I decided to just rub it on the fabric with a washcloth.  Front and back of the fabric.  The remover evaporates pretty quickly so within a matter of minutes I knew if it needed a second dose.  It did in some spots.  

But it came out!  And then left a some bigger spots that were the remover itself.  Like water spots...  So I threw it in the washer and hung it up to dry.

It WORKED!!!  I was so glad!!  It just needs a good pressing now and I'll send it to the fair.

8 of the ten things are hanging up ready to go.  Just two ironing projects to do.

OH and I asked for some zipper advice as I had to shorten a zipper for Leon's jacket that I made.  They suggested a few different ideas on how to shorten my plastic zipper and I opted for the hot glue idea as I knew where one was at home.    It WORKED too!!!  

Here is the end product of Leon's jacket.  He has some ideas for the next one, but I've got a pair of new sweat pants in the works right now for him that may or may not fit.  We'll see.

The rest of the week was a blur and I'm shocked that it's Friday already...  I spent a lot of time yesterday helping a friend move.  My legs are death...  2nd move in two weeks and after Monday it will be 4 in two weeks.    Every time I help someone move, I lose a solid pound.  I need to find 20 more friends who need a new view out their front window...

Leon and I went geo-caching this week too.  We only found one.  The other three must have been SO 4 years ago when geo-caching was more popular.  But he's pumped to hide some himself, so we'll get some made up and maybe replenish the ones that had been destroyed.

It was like a treasure hunt.

Taking my things to the fair tomorrow and getting the house ready for loads of company NEXT weekend.  Also, Meri is moving into her new house on Monday.  WOOHOO!!!  

My house, right now, has 4 dogs and 2 cats in it.  Meri dropped off Ellie and Fitz while she's getting her apartment packed up.  And we've also got Jen's cat, Frank, moved in as she'll be moving in next week for a few months.  Frank hates all the other pets.  Just ask Ryan's shoulder and legs where Frank let him know...

My people and pet hoarding skills are getting honed, I tell you...

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

AAYYY Macarena!

It's been a rush of a weekend.  I was on hyperdrive all weekend and by Sunday, Matthew had to remind me that even GOD rested on the 7th day of creation.  Yeah, but did he only have three days to move those guys from their apartment to their new house?...?  And was he afraid of leaving something there when he went home?  And then the sermon on Sunday was about resting on the Sabbath so Matthew was justified...

Here's what we did.

Drove into their town and saw these awesome airplanes!  Apparently they are still flown, but mainly just for the annual air show.  SO cool...  

We got to their new home on Thursday night, where Maddy was hanging photos and they were putting some things away.  We got the grand tour!  We love it!  They're going to be so happy there.

Maddy was making fried riced cauliflower for supper.  Delish!!!  Kind of like a low carb version of fried rice.  I'll be making some of that this week myself...

The bathroom off the living room had sheer curtains.  And the blinds on the other side of the bathroom made you feel self conscious when you were on the toilet.  Either the folks upstairs next door could see you or anyone walking down the driveway...  Or anyone in the living room.  

So that was going to be our first project after several loads from the apartment.  

That evening, Matthew and Robb installed a 2nd window air conditioner in the living room.  We had brought along a full size mattress and that was our bedroom that night.

On Friday, Matthew had to work until 1pm, so Maddy, Robb and I got a load or two from the apartment, a stop at Walmart for lunch supplies and then we unloaded at the apartment.  A friend loaned them a lawn mower and we all took turns mowing the shaggy yard.  Then those two had a wedding to attend a couple hours away so Robb and I had the whole afternoon and evening to ourselves.  We did another mini-van load from the apartment and then purchased a hose and weed&feed for their yard.  

We also went out for supper to a hotdog joint downtown that looked kitschy.  If we ever move there, Robb and the hotdog guy are going to be best friends.  Then around the corner there was an old movie theater that was showing a free movie  from 1941.  Unfortunately, some of the other patrons thought it was like Mystery Science Theater 3000 or the Rocky Horror picture show and mocked the movie during it.  sigh... really? Maybe they're not that way during some of the more current movies they show.  And if we get the chance to go again, I will.  The popcorn was really good!

In the basement of their house, Maddy told us about some sketch areas of it.  Apparently they have a root cellar!  Or whatever that's called.  

There were antique bottles with a mysterious yellow liquid in them...  After some investigation, I discovered that it was in fact, NOT urine or anything toxic.  But actually wine.  Probably dandelion or rhubarb, but had been down there for many years.  Yeah, don't drink that..  

On Saturday, we did another load of moving things in the morning, then Robb and Matthew rented a UHaul for the big move that afternoon.  They had some help coming.  

We had lunch at a great little burger joint where the waitresses served you while on roller skates.  

A nosy bird kept stealing fries from the garbage...  

Then Maddy and I went to JoAnns and got some fabric for the many curtains that they needed.  We ended up getting white muslin, several yards.  I lined the current bathroom french door curtains and Maddy made Matthew guess what dance she was doing on one side and he couldn't tell.  

FYI, It was the macarena.

We hung some curtains from their apartment in the bathroom at the window too so now they can potty in peace.

I also made a valance and lower curtains with lace for the kitchen window.  Same issue as the restroom.  Upper and lower windows of the neighbors looked right in.  No privacy in there either!  There is still one other window in the kitchen that needs something, but Maddy will hang an older curtain in there until I make something to match the ones above the sink.  

My project this week is to make curtains to cover two large window sets in the living room and two single window sets in both the living room and the den. As well as the one big one in the kitchen.  

Oh and one for the front door.  Lots of glass in that place!

Have muslin, will sew.

On Saturday night, everything had been moved to the house except for one load that will fit in their cars once they empty a few boxes to haul the stuff down the steps.  Odds and ends really.

We were pooped.  

After church on Sunday, Robb and I hit the road for home.  Those guys were going to go to another wedding a few hours away, but decided they'd better skip it as they were too exhausted to drive another six hours that day.  Probably just as well.  They had a lot of things to put away and find homes for.

Whew!  It's good to sit down!