Haven't we all spent a not-relaxing few days on Shxx Creek ? There's never any paddles, though.

It feels so strange to still have first-of-the-month funds. I’d only spent $3. on designs, and $2. of that was for a limited-time fund-raiser. The other was a free-standing lace star on markdown, three of my favorite things in one package. Today I spent another $2. on a sale keychain design – Beloved Hubby was having a bad day, and I couldn’t resist making  this one for him. Rest assured, the real one isn’t blocked and says exactly what you think it does.

Took Dearest Son to Dollar Tree today, mostly because I wanted some cheese popcorn. I also needed more tissues – the box upstairs is empty, the one down here is about halfway so. Also snagged a felt-like ‘Classic Multi-Purpose Mat’ – sort of a really thin carpet sample. Went with the heather grey instead of solid black or green, since it’ll look good with the Room With A View brick walls and not show thread and dust so easily.

Another dollar went for a knockoff ‘Ice Princess’ organza kids’ skirt and yet a third got me a slightly glittery green cat-ears headband. And I got my popcorn ! The registers were a mess, though. At one, a gaggle of Junior League-type young women bought 83 white tablecloths, and they requested that the cashier scan them one at a time and place them just so, one at a time, in bags, but no more than ten to a bag. The other lane hosted a woman who had $7. in bills to pay her $6-something total, (which she didn’t even reach for her wallet and dig through several bank envelopes until after she’d watched everything get rung up like a hawk . . .at an ‘everything’s a dollar‘ store) but she was determined to dig in her huge tote for exact change. She’d spread out the tote and her wallet and contents of the tote all over the conveyor, so no one else could even put their stuff down. After a three minute wait, I went to the tablecloth line, and my stuff started getting rung up while she still dug for it. Guy behind her finally paid the three cents so he could go already. He was out the door while she carefully checked her bag to make sure all six of her items were present. She was still there when we left – I had my money ready and our stuff arranged, stars know I had plenty of time.

Then we went to CityOf to pay the utility bill – while the car ahead of us was clearly confused about the process which involved many questions and she didn’t start writing her check until after I’d cut Emmy-car’s engine and hung my payment and statement out the window in frustration. Would have walked it to the night drop, but I was already penned in the line she made. I was done before she even pulled completely away – too busy checking her phone – so I had to wait for her twice. Car behind me honked, she hadn’t pulled up enough to let him/her move up to get their transaction started. Guess it was Thoughtless Monday in OurTown.

On the plus side, I’m feeling much better, but still tired. My diuretics are working again – while I was drinking water constantly, evidently there wasn’t much to spare until today, hence the impatience – always a good sign. Dearest and I are planning a trip to TRU Friday, and I may hit Tarzhay after Game Day tomorrow. I’m sure I’ll have my funds spent soon !

Whooo made this ? Me !

I can tell you, turning a soon-to-be stuffed fleece owl with a six inch wingspan and floppy feet right side out via a slit no bigger than the width of your index and middle fingertips pressed together can and will separate the determined from the dilettantes. And that was after Brody’s presser foot snagged on some wing tape and ripped the design right out of the hoop before sewing was complete. Getting a project back in the hoop exactly where it was, without jarring the design and matching it back well enough to complete it so that no one can tell it even happened is something that is generally waaaay the heck beyond my skills. 

But this little owlet has it all ! He’s stuffed with fleece and felt cut away from both stages of production, and my ladder stitch only shows a little. He’s clearly a good-luck owl, so the person he’s destined for will hopefully share in that.Machine embroidery design and tutorial by Happily Ever After !

And I have a little more confidence in my ‘Overcome’ and ‘Adapt’ abilities ! However, that was not the case when I woke up this morning. I coughed and hacked so hard, I didn’t feel right about meeting the ILs for fast-food lunch. So Dearest Son and Beloved Hubby went without me while I sipped hot chicken soup and 7-11 Pumpkin Spice coffee in bed, and read and napped. As it turned out, one of their cats had four kittens three days ago, irresistible to Dearest, so they visited at their place for a while. I can only imagine what that would have done to my respiratory system ! I did the right thing.

Tia didn't come with her crown - so here's Tia's Tiara !

Watched Boo York, Boo York, the latest MH toy-selling movie. It’s on Netflix, if you don’t want to pay for it. I wouldn’t. It plays like an extended Jem episode, complete with Toralei as a solo Misfit, and a cameo from Draculaura’s Roadster, subbing for the Rockin’ Roadster, I’m guessing. I’m still trying to figure out how Cleo can take half the school with her (‘all the ghouls !’, as she gleefully puts it) but leave her stated best friend Ghoulia behind, with no explanation, just some flimsy sub-plot exposition. Guess she’s destined to never have more than three cartoon outfits. Yes, Ghoulia saves the day and Astranova, but Astranova thanks the Boo crew. And I have to agree with the general opinion that Deuce’s singing voice is not only cheesy, it’s jarring how different it is from his speaking voice. Bonus -  it’s funny that Nefera is animated for most of the episode with rubber-band bend marks in her hair. 

At the very end, there’s an Ever After High reference, odd after characters seem to enjoy saying ‘Night of the Comet’ over and over. Decide who ya wanna homage, Mattel ! 

There was a flea market today, but I’m still coughing and horking hard. I’ve emptied an entire box of tissues, too. I didn’t want to get too weak to drive home, so we stayed there today. Was getting a little restless after not creating anything for several days, so I pulled up a design I bought recently but never stitched, one a bit too complicated for my current mental state and let it do it’s absorbing, distracting work. While the finished tiara may not look all that involved, it really is a delicate balance of arrangement, placement, cutting, and sewing that makes it work. Plus, I straight up like it, and will be wearing it much more frequently than Tia. I’m really starting to enjoy my fold-over elastic, as headbands.It's the Princess Tiara, from Sevens Emporium, in the small  (4x4) size. I may do it in glitter vinyl next time, since this was just a trial, today I used felt - and it still looks good !

Urgh, continued.

Felt just good enough to get some bills paid and take Dearest Son to the local grocers to secure a choice lunch for him, but I’m still too achy to really eat. Got several cans of soup, I think that’s gonna be the menu of choice for me over the next few days. And, yes, somehow I’ve gained three pounds. I think it’s all in my lungs. Or maybe my hating life lately can be measured by weight.

Urgh.

This is not how I wanted to welcome October, but at least it’s nice and cool and good weather to rest in. Hopefully tomorrow, I’ll feel like ‘mostly recyclable’ garbage instead of straight-up sewage. I don’t think the ILs realized how ill I was yesterday – I did tell them, just in case – as they wanted to visit the Library today. I begged off. I have no intentions of getting back out of bed once I’m lucky enough to get back into it. Still hurts a lot. Even soda hurts my throat still, so I’m drinking lots of water. It helps.