Yaaay !! Toner cartridge is on its way !!

For whatever reason – possibly the big thunderstorm that rolled in just as Beloved Hubby rolled out of the driveway – I got no sleep last night, and went back to bed after sending him off with an over-easy egg breakfast in his tummy, a cooler fulla ice, a fresh ham sandwich, and a kiss. The headache that beat two acetaminophen at 2am was finally gone, along with the thick clouds and rain.

So I made cinnamon pancakes and got some stuff started. Researched quiche recipes, warned my guys of my scheduled attempt at one Sunday.  All I need is a deep dish pie crust, and maybe some half-and-half. Most of what I read said I could use milk, and we have some that needs to be used, so I’ll probably go the cheap route.

Beloved was home early, so we ran an errand together, did the banking, and I paid bills and had a little fun. We have a toner cartridge – official Brother ! – arriving Sunday, and my used copy of Doll Junk  should be here the first week of June. It could have been here Monday, but I refused to pay an additional $9. for a brand-new one. Heavens and you know I’ll spend that much and possibly more at a thrift or on snacks sometime this weekend ! Beloved bought a new job-site speaker – his nice radio was stolen ! – so he’s pretty happy. Dearest Son’s already saving up for a MLP collection he wants, and hopes to mow the lawn for a few extra bucks tomorrow.

A busy and quiet Thursday, both at once.

Quiet Thursday, just the way I like it ! Took Dearest Son for his promised trip to Dollar Tree and a frozen pizza. He found a sticker book he liked, I found the Crayola Color Alive 2.0 sets. I bought Frozen (of course !), but they also had Avengers and DC Super Hero Girls. Pretty cool for a buck – it came with a thin coloring book and a pack of seven crayons, and directions to download a free app. It takes a while to download and use, but it scans the pages and reproduces the characters however you colored them. You can move ‘em around, put them in backgrounds, make videos, or take a selfie with them. Not something I’d pay more than a few bucks for, but actually quite neat.

Got Beloved Hubby another set of half-frame silver reading glasses – DTree’s are pretty good for the money, but they scratch easily – and as a joke, a paintbrush. He said he needed a cheap one for a short project, but he didn’t want a cheap foam one from DT. This one actually looked nice, the bristles felt good and cut about right, mounted in a wooden handle. He said it’s much nicer than he expected, and will work just fine. Yaaay !

Dearest selected a pizza he hadn’t sampled before, since they were out of his customary choice, and I found 2 ½ dozen eggs for $1.50. We’ve got about a month to use them. I may actually try to make a quiche soon ! Hope my guys want egg salad sandwiches this weekend !

Did dishes, Dearest got the trash out and around, and I pulled out the patterns I got from yesterday’s thrift tour, and got to work. It took nearly an hour, but I checked all the pieces, pinned and in the envelopes, against the instruction sheets, and learned that both of them are complete – even the directions are intact ! Lucky !! Since I liked most of the fabric the previous owner began with, I decided to leave the pinned pieces as they were, since they weren’t gonna get any more damaged, and sew ‘em myself. Hey, the tough part’s already done ! And there’s no better way to see who the finished clothes fit.

So very baaaad. . .

I was a very bad, no good, naughty, shiftless, selfish woman today. I loved every minute ! Skipped therapy – I simply wasn’t in the mood – but left on time anyway, Dearest Son was asleep and is well-versed in Momma’s Wednesdays. Hit three thrifts, spent a big whoppin’ $13.60, and another $40. on groceries and snacks Beloved Hubby requested.

Only went to the first thrift because I hadn’t been in months, and the total lack of anything interesting or cheep reminded me exactly why. Had to wait for an older guy to air up five tires (yes, he aired one twice) before I got to do mine, then I was on my way ! Next stop, the thrift in Other Town where I have a discount card that’s already paid for itself twice over.

Today, I made it three. I found another gorgeous onesie and a set of footed kitty-themed pajamas, for just 49¢ each. Discovered three more Build A Bears, but only bought the beige bear and the neon zebra-striped kitty. We already have the bunny, and she’s not Dearest’s favorite. There were three toddler Elsas, an Ariel, and a baby Cinderella, and one Animator Belle, but I didn’t buy any of them. All were nude with wrecked hair, yet they still wanted $3. each.

Digging further in the piles of plush revealed a tall Thomas O’Malley (Aristocats) and a small Figaro (Pinnochio), both from Disney Store, and Dearest loves Diz kitties. I also found a ballerina bear that was definitely not BAB, but her outfit might work for a project, and for 79¢, why not ?

Two fabric / craft scrap bags rounded out the prowl, and I was surprised at my low total – turned out two of my buys were this week’s half-price tag color ! Plus my 15% card discount, and I saved big !

Delighted, I headed to the Other Town Salvation Army. Squadoo. The few interesting picture frames and purse I liked proved to be damaged. Lucky I found out in line. Moved that thrift to the ‘Once a Blue Moon’ list, too.

Got some groceries and goodies, munching sale grapes on the way home. Dearest was thrilled with his new plush, and I gleefully went through my scrap bags. Wow, what a buncha goodies ! The larger bag had lots of all types of fabric, plus yards of pretty ribbon, some small lace, some wide ruffles, a strip of black Velcro ™, and several small spools of thread. Even a cute small doll romper that might fit Newborn Baby so Beautiful, once it’s washed. And a birthday-themed BAB bow tie – Dearest claimed that one, too.

I could see that the super-cheep bag had patterns still pinned to fabric pieces, but their sealed bags are a challenge to poke at ! Figured I could unpin and use the fabric, so I was really surprised to discover that, of all the bags to buy, I managed to find one with doll clothes patterns – Simplicity 8376 and 9144, both for large (17 – 18”) baby dolls ! Not sure yet if the patterns are complete, I haven’t unpinned anything yet, but even if I only got parts of them, it’s wicked cool that I got it !

Standing on her own two feet once more. . . Good Job, QC Barbie !

Cleaned off my desk today – it was getting too cluttered with unfinished projects and just plain small misc. Finally, I finished that black glitter fold-over elastic choker I’ve meant to finish for months ! It was all cut and figured out, I just needed to do three minutes of hand-sewing and 30 seconds of machine. Done, even though I have no idea where or when I’ll wear it.

Also put away some stuff, like taking the Elsa ornament I bought on markdown out of the box and adding it to the little collection. Used some stickers, stored some doll clothes, on and on.

And I finally took a deep breath and fixed Quick Curl Barbie ! I admit it, I chickened out after gluing her leg post back together, and by the time it was done, I had to clean her again. Followed these directions, and heard a solid click ! Then she was standing on her own again. Her leg swings easily and feels solid, so I’m happy. Wish I could do more with her hair, but I think it’s been like that for decades. Still, not bad for 25¢ (and $5. for Plastic Surgery glue !).

By the time Beloved Hubby came home, I felt wiped out and exhausted. Not sure why. But I caught a nap, and while dinner got downgraded, everyone ate heartily. Hopefully I’ll have more energy tomorrow.

Unless therapy leaches it out of me. . .

'Joyful Jumper' on deck - and the pattern's free !

Coming soon - my take on the jumper !

We were up and at ‘em early – then I went back to sleep for two hours. Then it was off and running, as I’d promised Dearest Son we’d go to the library, to return his videos and pick up our holds, the first three Fast and Furious DVDs (his choice) and The Princess Diarist, Carrie Fisher’s final book, for me. Also snagged a couple Mercedes Lackey books, like I didn’t have enough already !

Forgot to check the fuel gage, so we stopped on the way home for that and sodas. We kinda went nuts this weekend, so we gotta curtail our spending ‘til Friday. Still planning on going to Other Town thrift after therapy tomorrow, though – and I hope I don’t find much !

Decided to try the reversible Joyful Jumper, using two of the M-W July 4^th fat quarters I’d bought – haven’t even washed the last ones yet ! - and last week's library printouts. Got the woven cotton ironed out so they looked like cardstock, and was mentally patting my back for choosing designs that would complement even if they showed through. I’m not known for that level of foresight, but it has been a tough couple of years. I’d just finished cutting the ‘Joyful Jumper’ pattern, free, thanks to Mamma Can Do It,  when my phone went off. Beloved Hubby was on his way home ! Hopefully I’ll get that sewn up this week. I’ve had decent luck with reversibles.

Every year I think we'll skip Monsoon Season. Every year, I'm mistaken.

Massive storm last night – loud thunder, frequent lightning, pouring rain. Normally even thunderstorms help us all sleep deep, but the violence of it all was a bit much. Awakened to find that, predictably, our internet was out, and AT&T was already aware of the situation. So we watched DVDs with some doughnuts from yesterday and puttered, eventually going back to bed for naps.

Beloved Hubby decided to change the Diesel’s oil, so we were off for a filter and gallons of the stuff. Dearest Son went with me, and found the MLP Airship from the recent movie on markdown, and spent all his money on it !  He even owes me some dishes. Got the few groceries we needed and some markdown salads while Beloved rotated tires and got the oil change prepped. He’s amazing !

While I’ve planned the week’s menu, I haven’t planned what I want to get done. We spent quite a bit, so it’ll be a quiet one, but there’s always stuff to do around here ! I still have to sew Jen Wrenne’s Edwardian dress if I want the bonuses, so I gotta print out the pattern when we hit the library tomorrow. I really want a new toner cartridge. . .

Local thrift and Dollar Tree fun !

For some reason, we all had trouble getting to sleep and staying that way, so we were up early. Ran the deposit to the bank, got the bacon special from our local grocer, plus a few other needs, wants, and sales. Beloved Hubby had some work to do in the garage, so while taking out the Ranger, he and Dearest Son scored doughnuts. Yummm !

While everybody did their own thing, I decided to run out for a bit, check out that local thrift I do so well at. Not a lot this week, but I found an expensive frame and an American Girl Activity Spinner. For some reason, you dial an color and activity, and I guess you then dig in the box for a card that matches. Found them as ‘no longer available’ on the AG site, but they’d been marked down to $2. Got mine, and the frame, for 50¢, not bad at all !

Hit a couple of yard sales that should have been ‘curb-scavenge before Big Trash Day’, and decided to hit Dollar Tree on my own, a rare event. Found a Frozen activity book that came with a snowflake charm bracelet and a Pixar one with ‘Over 1000 Stickers’ and fold-out backgrounds to use them on. Really nice for a dollar !

Got a replacement Wonder Woman comic art tote bag – gave mine away Wednesday – and a small zipper bag with reversible sequins for purse miscellany. It can probably be seen from low earth orbit, it’s kind of loud, originally designed as a cell-phone cross-body tote. I could have made myself a little zipper bag, but I like the sequins, and for an indulgence, it’s hard to beat $1. The rest was groceries and home stuff.

 By then it was lunchtime. Made myself Leftover Serenade, which combines anything that might taste good together. If it’s good, it’s worth repeating, if not, at least it was made from stuff that was trash-bound anyway. Today’s was refried beans, canned chili, turkey bits, and some pasta, stirred in a mug with a bit of water. Not bad at all !

Gonna nap for a bit before dinner. Hope your Saturday had fun surprises, too !

My Big Silly thing.

Friday ! Since it’s payday, and because he knew we’d have fun, Beloved Hubby proposed we divide the laptop cash between the three of us ! Whoo-hoo ! Of course, Dearest Son and I went shopping ! I’d been wanting something online, so a trip to the bank was the first thing. Dearest surprised me by asking me to deposit his funds, too, ‘for safety’. I remember all too well the two times cash leapt from my pocket as a kid, lost forever, and I admired his forethought. We were soon on our way !

We didn’t get a lot for the laptop, but you know how thrifty we all are ! Beloved Hubby replaced a hand tool that came up missing, I bought the Big Stupid thing I most wanted – I could have either a book (Doll Junk) or an Elsa Build-A-Bear, already dressed, on eBay for $11. Since we’ll be going to the BaB store soon, to stuff Dearest’s ‘Muffins’ MLP, I went with Elsa, so I wouldn’t be tempted to buy her there. Beloved already said I could have whatever I wanted at BaB, I’d rather spend $11. than $40. Might buy another outfit, though. . .

Dearest soon concluded that, sometimes, ‘money from the sky’ is more difficult to deal with than having none at all to spend. As for me, I had several wants, it was a matter of marshalling what I had to get the most. He ended up buying only lunch – a whole pound of Mal-Wart Deli Orange Chicken, his favorite.

I got to talk to the nice young lady who manages the free sample machine. It’s more utilized than I thought ! I told her I’d seen it avoided more often than a bell-ringer at Christmas Eve, and taught a few folks how it worked, she laughed and gave me a handful of extra samples – Rice Krispy Treats ! I needed the sugar hit, saved a couple for Beloved, gave two to Dearest.

Found ice-blue mini rose minky fabric on markdown for $2. a yard – it was $8. ! – and got a yard and a half. It’s cloud-soft and so beautiful to look at, and I’d wanted to experiment with it a bit. Seen lovely miniature stuffed animals made from it on embroidery machines, and want to try making Ms. Elsa a matching skirt and shoes, just for kicks. I already know, from the kind woman cutting my fabric, that this stuff sheds like a beast in summer, or a 90s Barbie. Probably have to vacuum out my sewing machine after the first shoe.

I also got the two fat quarters I wanted – the two-tone grey stars on white cotton – and found a ‘Cardinals in Snow Swirls’ print mixed in with the Easter/Spring FQ rolls. Spring stuff’s not on sale, but the Christmas/Holiday stuff was, so I snagged the Cardinals for 25¢. 

Still had a few bucks, but Dearest was ready for home and lunch, so I got to solo to a yard sale and Goodwill again. Nothin’. Came home to a leftover lunch and played the day away. Beloved worked late and I’d already started a slow-cooker supper of pork steaks and onions with potatoes, in a broth of my own ideas, right after my lunch, so it was ready soon as he walked in. He appreciated that, and loved the meal, too. Tossed in flour and the broth became an epic gravy. I’m getting good at this !

Taco Thursday !

Backwards, it's still Taco Cat !

Hoooray ! The old Asus laptop I listed on Facebook’s Marketplace finally sold ! True, we’d marked it down twice and were thinking of just taking it off and donating it somewhere, but we got a few bucks. Even found the old case for it, and the buyer was thrilled. True, we could have used the funds earlier this week, but we’ll be fine without worry now. Whew !

I was all for going out to eat tonight, but I already had everything thawed out, and Taco Thursday would take less time than Taco Bell takeout. I used my ‘leftover TB packets, a beef ramen seasoning pack, two takeout packets of soy sauce, and some garlic and vinegar’ recipe to flavor up the fried hamburger and sausage. True, taco seasoning pouches are cheap, but I’d rather use up what we already have sitting around. Ya’ll know I can do a lot with a saved couple of quarters ! And Beloved Hubby says he prefers mine to TBell and TBueno, high praise I always love hearing.

Rest of the day was kinda meh. Finished up all the laundry, including sheets and things unearthed when Dearest Son swapped upstairs bedrooms. Until this year, he refused to move, but I’m glad he’s now in the one with the air conditioner. 

I need this mug, just to warn people who wander too close to the kitchen. . .

Wired day. Therapy was full of emotion with a lot going on. I brought the  small cut-glass cups I’d thrifted – possibly once part of a punchbowl set – and a big bag of Dark Chocolate M&Ms, which were six times the cost of the glasses ! Another member brought delicious red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. All the cups found new homes, as I hoped, and even the M&Ms all disappeared. Did you know the Dark Chocolate ones are embossed with the usual ‘M’, plus and a tiny ‘Dark’ underneath ? I do now. They’re delicious !

Didn’t go to the Other Town thrift like I’d planned. Funds and tires were too low to risk it. But I’m definitely going next week ! Just to calm down and walk a bit, I went to the Goodwill down the street from us. About the only thing I found was that motorized-scooter woman who gave me such grief a few weeks ago for not knowing all about the manky blender she so desperately needed for her all-important smoothies. Luckily, I don’t think she saw me, and I made sure it stayed that way.

Helped the nice cashier sort jewelry just for fun, it was like a live-action, glittery game of Mahjong. Matched dozens, including two pair of earrings that I liked, but knew I’d never wear. Plus, the clip-on ones were rather heavy and flew off if I shook my head. Least I did a good deed today !

Once home, I did dishes and about half the laundry, sneaking a nap between loads. No crafting today. Made a quick meal of chicken pasta salad, and I’m about to crash. G’night !

My new wallpaper !

Busy day, for a  Tuesday ! Took Dearest Son on a much-delayed trip to the Library – there was a video he wanted and color laser prints he wanted to do. I had some patterns I wanted to try, but they were multi-part, and too complicated to attempt the ‘trace the monitor’ trick on. Until we get our laser printer back up, we gotta use the Library’s. Luckily, full color prints are only 30¢ each, black ink only, 15¢.

Went to the bank first, as the Library’s printers run on a vending-machine sort of deal, so we needed cash. The popcorn and lollipops that are in the lobby had nothing to do with it ! But we got some anyway.  

Just as I sat down at the Library terminal to order our prints, a woman came in with a huge, fur-to-the-floor dog. She got headed off by a staff member, but not before stridently making the plaint that she needed her dog constantly, to comfort her. I’m badly allergic, so I grabbed my inhaler and moved to another terminal, which didn’t escape the staff. Since the canine wasn’t an actual licensed service dog, but an unlicensed emotional support animal, she had to take him/her outside. I got to the furthest terminal I could find – she tried to sit down right next to me, of course ! – and had to give myself a few minutes before I got what we needed. I’d sent Dearest to go look at movies – while he’s not allergic, he is apprehensive about dogs due to several bad experiences.

From there, we got the few groceries we needed for the week, including pepperoni for tonight’s French Bread pizzas, possibly Dearest Son’s favorite home-made meal. I like to toast the bread with garlic butter in the oven for a few minutes, then let everyone do their favorite toppings their way. Then back in the oven to melt cheese, and dinner is served ! It helps when M-W has the bread on markdown for 34¢ a loaf.

Therapy tomorrow, so I’m for bed. Hope you have a lovely evening !

Goes to show, even if I only spend pocket change for it, I'll find a way to use it, especially if the initial idea is a big ole FAIL !

Beloved Hubby was home today, and slept through most of it. I think that bug that went around last month bit him hard, and he’s still slowly recovering. That, or cleaning out the garage and starting on some new projects yesterday wore him out !

So I futzed around, napped, too. I’m backing up my huge files – my digital-only pattern collection is over 8GB ! – but it’s a slow process. Dearest Son saved his money and ordered an unstuffed Build-a-Bear MLP ‘Muffins’ (aka, ‘Derpy’) from a Colorado eBay seller Friday. It arrived today ! And is adorable. We’ll take her to get stuffed and ceremonialized (if that’s not a word, it should be !) soon as we can.

Beloved watched me fitting my BAB Neon Stars with a new shirt, said if I’d wanted one last time we went, in October, I think, he would have got me whatever I chose. Well, at the time, it was all about Dearest, plus we were thin on funds. Can’t lie, the store was enchanting, and many of their bears intrigued me, especially the Elsa ones, still, I decided against it. I’m glad I did. I’d much rather have the $1. at Goodwill and dress them myself ! Although I’m seriously considering ordering that Elsa BAB dress. . .

Since our printer remains on strike for more toner, we’re going to the Library tomorrow, so I can print out a few I want to try. Dearest has some prints he wants, too – and I get to pay fines if he wants to borrow a movie. I completely missed the Autumn ‘Food For Fines’ drive, darn it. Wish they did that year-round ! We’re hoping to finance more toner by months’ end.

Beloved cooked a spaghetti feast, so I’m in a pasta coma again. Nite-night !

Happy Mom Day ! Check out my BAB haul !

Hope you had a happy Mother’s Day, mom or not ! We had some glorious weather, so lots of families were out and about. We cleaned out more of the garage so Beloved Hubby can make us a few more dressers ! Drawers and frames are already built, we just need the hardware and rails. But it’s a snug week (thank Everything I need to thin out the freezer food !), so it’ll wait a bit longer.

As for me, I got Beloved-made bacon and eggs for breakfast, and Chinese takeout for lunch. Delicious ! I got a nap and went prowling, hoping I wouldn’t find anything – but I did. Four Build-A-Bears ! Well, three bears and a bunny. I’m keeping the black ‘stars’ bear (you knew I would), and Dearest Son was thrilled to claim the rest. Not bad for $4. plus tax total ! They’ve already been washed, since none of ‘em have electronics, and I’ll probably use the green onesie I bought that was too big for the My Life As 18” doll for him. Yes, for some reason, I see the Sweet Swirls bear as female, the Neon Stars bear as male, even though they have the exact same face and body structures. Guess I’m still sexist.

Goofed off for the rest of the day, didn’t go near the sewing machine, although I wanted to. Still have three more shirts to adapt for Ms. Elsa and now, a second BAB to dress ! Made a simple dinner and ignored the dishes in the sink. They’ll still be there Monday.

Soon as I saw this one, Ms. Elsa *had* to have it !

Ms. Elsa got a whole new outfit, instead of just a shirt, today ! Her blouse was a kid’s Danskin Dri-More racer-back tank. It’s now backless with a neck closure, and I shortened the longer-in-the-back hemline to a straight one that’ll be good to wear over shirts. The new neckline gapped a bit, so I took in two small darts. I call it fashion !

It didn’t take long, and I knew the resulting shirt would be too short to wear alone, even with Ms. Elsa’s painted bodysuit. However, it’s been so long since I had a My Size doll, I didn’t have any patterns printed out – and I ditched the ones I had years ago. I had some saved as files on the computer, but our printer’s on strike for more toner. It probably wouldn’t even scan if it had its druthers, but I got it to anyway. I could go to the library for printouts, but I didn’t want to wait. Ya’ll know how impatient I am !

So I did something silly. I pulled the files for MSB fitted pants up in PaintShopPro, and adjusted the size ‘til the “one inch” check matched the ruler in my hand. Then I temporary taped sheets of already used paper to the screen and traced the parts I needed. Yaay, shorts pattern !

Then I had my usual wrestle with what fabric to use. Ended up using a pair of Beloved Hubby’s old jeans he’d committed to the trash a few weeks ago. I’d already washed them, so they were ready to go. I was even able to save the frayed hems, for a touch of verisimilitude. Jeans are probably hard to come by in Arendelle.

Three broken needles later, I had a greater respect for denim. Saving the hems and using an elastic casing waist made for some thick sewing ! I took it slow and walked the needle, but still had some breaks, but it all worked out. It took a lot longer than doing the same version in thin cotton, but I really did want Ms. E. to have some broken-down jeans, for some reason. Worth it !

It's nice when your character shirt fits !

I know it’s hard to see the difference, but Ms. Elsa’s Frozen shirt is done. The neckline is a bit smaller and the shoulders aren’t sagging halfway down her arms. It’s still pretty big on her and can easily double as a night-shirt, but I like it like that. I’ve already pin-fit another of the yard sale kid shirts and hope to finish altering it tomorrow.

It was a quietly busy day. I’m trying to focus on sewing instead of snacking or watching crap TV on streaming services – anything that keeps me busy will work, and when I’m crafting, I forget my surroundings. That’s actually why I don’t do more of it, I’m easily annoyed if interrupted (and you know I can barely cook a pot of ramen without at least two delays) and often screw up if my focus is jolted. That’s why I prefer altering stuff to creating new sometimes – it’s often quicker and just as satisfying.

CVS keeps sending me ‘40% off one item’ coupons, but every time I go to use one, most of the store is already on sale. And a lot of the stuff not on sale is still too expensive even with a discount. Today I ended up getting a house-brand bag of rice crackers, since I already buy cheep shampoo and the few beauty needs I have from Dollar Tree, and Mal-Wart, for what DTree doesn’t have. Ours got rid of their toy section, instead just stocking a few seasonal items – they don’t even have coloring books anymore. At least the rice crackers were good !

Got dishes and laundry done for the weekend. I’m already looking forward to bedtime – clean sheets !

I don't know why I find this so amusing, but I do !

She's inexpensive and easy to dress !

I get more done on busy days ! Did two more loads of laundry, including the bedsheets, and washed enough dishes for dinner. Trying a new recipe for goulash – I remember eating something similar as a kid. (grin) I balked at it until my mother detailed everything in it, all foods I liked. She didn’t make it often, but after that, I chowed down whenever I got it !

Tried all the yard sale shirts from Friday on Ms. Elsa, and they fit pretty well. It’s hard to get most of them on her, due to her limited arm movement, so I’m gonna split all of ‘em down the back, take some fabric out of most of ‘em. It’ll cinch up the necklines a bit and help the sleeves look less saggy. Not to mention make it easy to dress her !

Once they’re done, she’ll have five shirts, one dress, a fleece robe, and her costume. I gotta start work on some skirts, pants, and shorts !

Since it’d been nearly a week since my last prowl, Dearest Son and I visited Goodwill. He found a Build-A-Bear ‘Palace Pets’, a fluffy white dog I think is Cinderella’s Pumpkin puppy, and a racing game for one of his consoles. I found eight Mercedes Lackey "Valdemar" series books (mostly paperback, but none I had), and a glittery checkerboard pair of toddler shoes for Ms. Elsa. Those were half-price ! Wish the books had been. . .

Once home, I got his new B-A-B in the wash, and another stuffed toy of his. The second split a seam, so I had to re-stuff it and hand-sew it shut. We also discovered the Cinderella B-A-B was open in the back, so I got that one done, too. My ladder stitch is improving steadily ! Dearest didn’t even know about the split, and couldn't tell where it was.

With all that going on, I didn’t get to more than one of Ms. Elsa’s shirts, but I will tomorrow. I also have a pattern for pants for the smaller toddler Disney Princesses I hope to try. Gosh knows I got the fabric !

Spring Capers !

She wonders what girrafter.. . 

This is the adorable Newborn Baby So Beautiful, made by Playmates in ’95, that I found in the toy room of a local thrift, nude, for 25¢. Isn’t she the sweetest ? I found a pair of underpants that mostly fit in a doll grab-bag, then found the shirt and hat, still sewn together, in the bag I bought last Wednesday. While I still want to sew for her, I’ll probably alter the five kids’ shirts I got Friday to fit Ms. Elsa first. I need the space back !

Sorry if I seem a little distracted. Personal stuff that was challenging, but turned out happily, is fading to history like a sunset. I’m still processing everything and enjoying the mood lift. Beloved Hubby and I were up late talking, plus I took some meds late, so I was going to the bathroom all night. And pollen allergies have had my eyes aching and streaming. If it weren’t for dandelions, white clover flowers, and violets, I’d absolutely loathe Spring.

You’ll laugh, but I had the most tender pork steak of all for lunch. I had a small one in the package from Sunday’s dinner, and today was ‘use it or lose it’ day. I had no idea how to cook just one. So I boiled it for about 10 minutes in Dearest Son’s leftover beef ramen broth, then tossed it in the toaster oven for 20 minutes at 450°. Splashed a little teriyaki sauce over it, and oh, gosh, was that good. I hope to try it with some ribs soon.

Speaking of cooking, I have a recipe that sounds good, but calls for capers. I know where to find them, they’re not expensive, but to my knowledge, I’ve never eaten one before. Anyone got any experience with capers they care to share ?

Four Fabrics And A Onesie.

Success ! Our Mal-Wart finally got the Summer fat quarters in, and after much deliberation, I selected four. Got ‘em cheap-serged and in the wash. Surprisingly, the single bin of remaining Easter quarters are still a buck – cheep, but I already bought my limit on those. Unless the rest are a quarter or so ! Guess ‘Easter’ isn’t quite so rigidly ‘Holiday’, like Halloween or Christmas.

While Dearest Son examined laptops, video games , DVDs, and other electronic delights, I checked for markdown toddler shoes (for Ms. Elsa) and onesies (for the AG-size girls). Nope on the shoes, and I soon realized that the $3. folded infant shirts started at 0-3 mos., a size I already know to be too big for my purposes. And the markdown garments were all licensed, and still more than I wanted to pay. However, more prowling soon yielded single Gerber onesies, in Newborn, for just $2. Had to choose between lavender flowers and bright pink owls, and went with the lavender. Long as I was careful, I could try it on my dolls, and return it if it didn’t work.

And it does ! It went in the wash, too, because a bit of shrink wouldn’t hurt. Now I’m not sure if I want to make a blouse out of it, or a nightie. Probably a blouse, both of my dolls already have nightwear, and I can always do this again for that doll I’m planning on giving to the woman in therapy who’s already tossed a Frozen castle back at me. (sigh) I’m an idiot, but I don’t wanna penalize daughter for her mother’s insensitivity.

Once home, I found that a nationwide funeral service thoughtfully sent me some information on how my Veteran’s Death Benefits have changed. No, didn’t ask for it. (sigh)

Our M-W has a free sample device – I’ve scored several snacks from it. Today was a packet of Persil laundry detergent. I think Dearest was a little disappointed.

Imagine Ariel at a thrift store. . .

Not sure why, but a lot of the meals I make are better as leftovers ! Yesterday’s pork steaks weren’t as tender as I’d have liked, but cooked again today, the cut-bits in the reheated gravy and fresh potatoes, were.

Not sure where today went, after I took Dearest Son for a short grocery run – we’ve got to go on a bigger one tomorrow, for his meds – and cooked up lunch, it got away from me until Beloved Hubby was on his way home. Sure, I puttered and cleaned up from my sudden flurry of sewing, and took a quick, short nap, but I still don’t know where all my time went. Sure sign of allergy season. I tend to space out a lot then.

At least I beat back the ‘I’m bored, let’s go prowling’ impulse. I wanna go to JoAnn’s bad ! Feels like months since I went craft shopping, but then again, I just bought those five yard sale kids’ shirts Friday, and got a huge GWill craft grab bag a few weeks ago. I still haven’t put some of that away. Hoping this visit to the M-W yields the July 4^th-themed fat quarters I’ve been seeing – you know how I am about stars !

Not sure what my next project is – I have so many I want to work on. A skirt for PJ Sparkles, something for Newborn Baby So Beautiful, a new shirt to use my new PickleToes sale pattern for the Cinderella Build-A-Bear, tailoring those kids’ shirts for Ms. Elsa, or using their fabric for other projects, and that doesn’t even count the new-to-me thrifted dolls that still need their ‘spa days’.

Just don’t ask me why I find it so irresistibly funny to get that Frozen shirt to fit Ms. Elsa. . .

Dell gets a happy dress !

Today’s project made me happy ! First off, it used up the last of that thrifted dress. And I mean, the very last. There’s not even the tiniest of scraps left. I used that whole buffalo !

Second is that, while it’s hard to tell from the photo, Hearts 4 Hearts Dell got a shirred bodice sundress – it’s been a long time since I pulled out that bobbin of elastic thread and went to town with it. It’s great to know that I can still do it, and it looks pretty good. Even remembered to steam the elastic for the best shirrs, even if you can’t see ‘em, and press the straps.

Third is that, start to finish and even including cheap-serging all the raw edges, Dell’s dress took about 30 minutes. And it uses the original dress hem. I also got the dry cleaner’s label off the garment tag. It was made by Twentyone, and has a flying bird, which may mean it’s from Forever 21. Can’t find it online, though, but it really was nice fabric to work with !

Rest of today was napping, snacking, and Netflix. And slow-cooker pork steaks in garlic-onion gravy with baked potatoes. I’m already looking forward to the leftovers !

Fancy Nancy gets a Maxi !

Slept late and awoke to the sweetness of a still-slumbering Beloved Hubby and our kitty, tucked in between us, flat on her back, paws tucked under her chin. Guess I hit a sugar rush, ‘cause the next thing I remember, I was waking up again, to a much brighter day.

Beloved and Dearest Son were roaringly hungry, so I went out for a late breakfast / early lunch. Sometimes a bacon cheeseburger is exactly what ya need, even if you don’t realize it ‘til that first savory bite.

Puttered around for a while, and halfway cleaned up from Ms. Elsa’s new dress creation before I got bored and decided to play with my new dolls. Hearts 4 Hearts Dell is a bit loosely strung, but she’s beautiful – gorgeous eyes, cute freckles, and the best hair I’ve seen on a doll since Elphie. Her hair was tangled due to her thrift days, but it brushed out easily with nearly no shed. Since I’ve read that Wellie Wishers clothes fit H4H, I hope to sew for her next. While her blouse and shoes are original to her, the blue velveteen snakeskin bell-bottoms clearly aren’t – I think they’re from a Ty Groovy Girls doll, but there’s no tag.

Fancy Nancy also has nice hair, more prone to frizz and shed than Dell, but far nicer than most Disney Princesses I could mention. I confess, I’m not a huge fan of redheads – had trouble with several human ones – but her sweet smile and big green eyes were just irresistible. It also helped that she was marked down to 79¢, not because she was cheap, but because I kinda felt sorry for her. And, as with most dolls, when I see a nude one, I have a compulsion to dress them somehow. So they know they’re cared for by somebody.

She still needs a bath, but I wanted to sew. So I folded the cutaway piece from Ms. Elsa’s dress, conveniently still on my desk, until it looked about right and started pinning. Since maxi-dresses are all the rage of late, I decided to keep hers long and flowing. I still have a rectangle of that fabric left - with its built-in hem ! – left, so don’t be surprised if Dell or someone shows up wearing it tomorrow. You know me, I like to use all that buffalo.

For now, though, it’s time to make dinner and start powering down for the night. I might actually finish my clean-up tomorrow ! Just don’t hold me to that. . .

'Finally Did It' Friday !

Beloved says he's proud of me ! 

I think that writing ‘I hope to. . . ‘ here is good luck most of the time – that or I don’t wanna get called out for not doing it, so I put in the effort !

Took a breath and a gulp and a handful of new, sharp pins – and some bandages – and pin-fit Ms. Elsa’s new dress, this time on the wrong side of the material. Of course, I play with it right-side out, but always sew on the inside, so every time I gotta redo it. At least it gives me a chance to play with the fit, and see what I hope to accomplish. Without that, there’s no reason to do it !

It came out just as I wanted ! When I first pulled this out of the thrift store fabric grab-bag, I had no idea what it was, thinking it was just fabric, ‘til I saw the buttons. But I knew where it was going ! This was either a woman’s long tunic or a mini-skirt, size L. I didn’t adjust the length at all. Just took out enough of the back to make a similar dress for a smaller doll – possibly a Disney Princess and Me – sewed a new back seam, put in a Velcro ™ closure (the front buttons are just for show), and shortened the shoulder straps.

I hope Elsa likes it ! Her original blue shoes would have gone well with the dress, too, but I always prefer classic black. She has those, a pair of hiking boots, cat slippers, jelly shoes, tweed with purple floral sandals, and black canvas Mary Janes with neon flowers. It’s great that she wears a size 5 toddler – they’re dirt cheap and barely worn second-hand, and go on markdown frequently in retail. All her shoes together cost $16. She may actually have more shoes than I do. . . and I’m still looking for some red flats for her.

I think my next project is a diaper and maybe some sort of clothes for the nude Newborn Baby So Beautiful I got from that local thrift for 25¢. She has an ill-fitting diaper from a recent grab-bag, and that’s all I have that remotely fits her. I once had a baby Ariel that’s about her same size, so, you guessed it, I already have some patterns. Too bad our printer is on strike for more toner.

Took Dearest Son to Dollar Tree, and hit a huge fundraiser yard sale on the way. He didn’t find anything, I got five kids’ shirts, a photo album, a hardback copy of The Audacity of Hope, and a small wooden catapult. Or maybe it’s a trebuchet. Either way, it launches wadded-up receipts far enough to startle and engage the cat. Beloved Hubby loves it ! All of it together was $6.

About all we bought at DTree was snacks – Dearest’s choices and several bags of cheddar Chex Mix, they normally only have Traditional at our store – and a MLP coloring book. Gave it to Dearest after I scanned the five Princess Luna images in it !

Used up the last of the markdown rotisserie chicken for lunch and dinner – boiled-bones chicken potato soup for my lunch, Alfredo Bacon Bake for supper. There’s bunches of recipes that start with ‘shred a rotisserie chicken. .. ‘