Sew much to do, sew little time - but it was worth it! New PTR link posted! ~~~~~~~~~

[mommy2mrb]

It would depend if she wanted to come and Gs schedule. i would definately have J

keeping fingers crossed

 

[blessedmom4]

I saw a sneak peak.... it is awesome

I didn't see a sneak peek...but I KNOW it is awesome!!!!

 

[VBAndrea]

D~ I can totally understand your dilemma re: quitting Target. I know a lot of people on here sew, but I also know a lot don't. I have to say for the amount of time us sewers put into our work, the profit gained is minimal. People may think you put $10 into a bag and sell it for much more. Some people have no clue how much quality fabric costs, that's it's additional to quilt things, that prices of zippers and trims add up, the cost of embroidery thread, etc -- and that's just materials. With the time it takes to make a bag when you look at your profit I bet you are not even making minimum wage -- I am willing to bet you make less than $5 an hour and who wants to survive on that? So to me bottom line is if you need a job for finances, keep your job at Target. If you don't need to work and want just a little fun money, then go for the sewing. I keep thinking about opening a shop, but then I keep thinking I could get another part time job and if I work just one day a week at real job in that one day I'd probably make as much as I'd make in two or three months of sewing. Just weigh it out.

All that being said, I do think if you made some bags RTS they would sell as long as you stick to really popular characters like the fab five or maybe a fun Alice bag or something generic like an AK bag. I promise, those would sell! I think those would be worth doing to test the waters.

 

[DMGeurts]

Ugh, I remember this day. It was the crazy, mixed up day we arrived. We waited and wandered around in the drizzle for 2.5 hours at an absolutely packed outlet mall for BIL to show up after losing him in traffic on the way from Jacksonville Beach. I was just shoving DH and DS in the truck to leave for the resort when they finally showed up. Don't ask what they did in the time they were missing . . . just don't. Anyway SIL purchased the candles she just HAD to have (the only reason we were going to this place) and then BIL saw a bike outfitters that he just HAD to go to. Only good thing is that it was right next to a Burton store that kept DS's attention and we ended up getting a great deal on a pair of Gravis shoes for him. Okay, enough threadjacking, on to your Epcot day!

I remember you telling me about this when we met - so crazy! I am so glad you finally got everyone out of there and on to your vacation.

Great updates on Epcot. I love the fact that you didn't let the rain slow you down! I learned more about WS from your report than I saw when there, or rather didn't see. We did get to explore a lot of Norway as that is where DS's Kim Possible Mission was and it was awesome. After that we had to boot it over to England to meet up with BIL/SIL.

I am glad that we got to explore more places than we had on previous trips - but we still have a few places to explore...

We loved Oh Canada! when we saw it in 2008. We thought it gave a pretty good description of the vastness and differences of our country. If you ever come to visit, make sure you head east to Ontario. I know a place you can stay!

I am glad you chimed in about that - I did think it was a nice movie. That would be a fun trip - if we ever get that direction, you'll be the first to know.

I feel bad about your fish n chips being slimy. We shared one while in England and it was very good. Nice and crisp, fresh fish inside, awesome chips. And this is from someone who does not like fish or seafood of any kind.

Oooh - I am glad to hear this... I thought it was always like this. OK - we will give it a try next time.

Mmmmm, the Napolean looks good. Although, I have to agree with others who think it needs chocolate. I'll have to make a note to get one the next time we go.

No, seriously, you must try it - trust me when I say - it's one of those desserts where I think that chocolate would ruin it.

I guess the fact that we have never gotten to explore WS is the reason why I didn't know about Pick a Pearl. That looks really neat. Definitely add to the list for next time.

Yes, you'll have to try it next time, it's definatly an experience. Try to get there early though, because it does get really busy quickly.

The American Adventure theatre is beautiful. Again, must add to the list. about the naps!

Yes, add it to your list... It does a nice job of the overview of how our country came to be and the struggles it's overcome.

We ate at the Mexican CS in 2008 and were happy with our meals. Can't remember exactly what we had. Must go look at 2008 trip photos as I am sure we took pictures of it. We were going to have something there this time but couldn't find a place to sit and the others were waiting for us to meet up with them, so we passed. DS discovered Churros this trip and is in love with them. We couldn't pass one up anytime he saw them!

Well, we will definately have churros there again. LOL

Can't wait to hear about your dinner. I was going to book GG on our Epcot day this trip but we ended up at The Wave at the Contemporary as I thought MIL/FIL would really enjoy it. When they cancelled, we let the ADR stand so we could tell them about it. Think I would have enjoyed GG more.

I might get to our dinner portion of the trip today???

no worries on the BG siggy button, I put in a different one thanks for the offer though!

OK - sorry about that though.

I think taking a LoA is a good idea to test the waters! plus you can enjoy having some time off! sorry you are getting to do the yucky work at Target!

Yes, that is what I am thinking too.

oh ouchy for Max, lucky your neighbor was helpful! hope he'll learn his lesson not to eat the hornets!

Yes, he is much better now... We are very thankful for our neighbor - he saved us another large vet bill.

I don't remember seeing any condiment station, maybe was a bad day for the chefs at WS due to the rain!

Good, maybe I didn't miss it then?

I totally get your thought process on the Target vs Sewing job front. I think your LoA is a good one (so long as it means you can still come to Charlotte ) to test the waters. . .

Yes, it would still mean that I could come to Charlotte, it would just mean that I wouldn't have to ask for time off (and risk not having it approved) and I'd have less $$ to spend while I was in Charlotte.

I also think using the launch to see how a bag of your own creation/design/theme will do is a great idea . . . and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the outcome, because I own a UPB and other than telling you which character I wanted, you designed the entire thing and I LOVE it and I love your launch bag just as much and wish I could afford to bid on it right now

Awww... Thanks Marianne.

I know i didn't live up to my promise of a TR update last night . . .I'm sorry. My migraine took over and there was just no way . . . but I did get lots of pages done this afternoon and I only have the two wrap up pages to finish before I can post the rest of day 4!!!

It's totally OK - we just like to give you crap. Glad you're feeling better, and since I've already read your update - I loved it - it was so cute!

LOVE the LOA idea.

yah, that's what I am thinking too... It's kind of a safety net for me.

I thought Charlotte was a done deal??!!!?? I saw it on Marianne's TR so it MUST be true, right????

Well, it won't technically be a done deal until I can afford to purchase airfare.

for Josh, praying it is not nerve related. I can't wait to see your bag! When is the launch and how can we see it if we don't FB???

Thank you Judy.

I will post pictures of my finished launch bag when I actually finish it. LOL As of now, it is not done.

]

Thank you Michelle!

wheres the like button?

I am debating Charlotte

Yay!!! Chiara - you MUST come!

D,
I haven't read this trip report yet, I'm halfway through your PTR so I'll continue with this later, but i was wondering since you seem to be the American Girl Doll Expert, I am looking for a princess Doll, along the same lines as the American Girl Doll, good quality. Disney doesn't have anything to offer so i thought i'd ask if you knew of anything similar to an American Doll in size, quality, and just plain niceness that is a princess doll (preferably cinderella) - if anyone makes one?
Thanks

Wow!!! You are a brave girl - reading through my entire PTR... that was a long one. LOL

I wish I had a good answer for you, but there aren't any princess dolls out there that are the same quality of AG, unfortunately. Really, there isn't anything out there that compares to their quality. The best you'd be able to do, is purchase a doll from AG that looks similar to Cindy and have someone make her a custom Cinderella outfit. Which would be adorable... Might be a project I'd be willing to work on in my spare time - depending when you need it?

really??!!!!! that would be wonderful if you can come down too! would you bring Miss C??

It would depend if she wanted to come and Gs schedule. i would definately have J

keeping fingers crossed

Totally keeping my fingers crossed for this - it would be so awesome if you could come and bring the kiddos!

I didn't see a sneak peek...but I KNOW it is awesome!!!!

Awww... Thanks Judy! I will make sure that everyone who reads my TR will get a sneak peek when the bag is finished...

I had a LONG day at work yesterday. I spent the majority of the day organizing the lab again. Because we've moved so many things, it only made sense to put our supplies in different areas, so they were accessable where we needed them. Then, I went through our pallets of supplies in the back room and decided what needed to be garbage and what we could put in our personal stock room... I ended up making it so we didn't have any pallets in the back - which isn't a big deal for anything other than inventory - so that's huge.

We had a nice dinner last night - which doesn't usually happen on the nights that I work... And V helped me make it - which was a huge help. This is a dinner that we frequently make together... It's cream cheese stuffed croissants sprinkled with Italian seasoning - you bake them so they are nice and crispy (maybe a hair over done) - then you pour a mixture of cooked ground sausage (you could use hamburger too), onions, garlic, mushrooms and spaghetti sauce over the top - then sprinkle 2 cups of Mozzarella over the top of that and bake it just until the cheese starts to turn brown... Serve with garlic toast. NUM... V always stuffs the croissants for me, while I am making the sauce mixture - it goes together much quicker that way. As a reward - she gets all the left over cream cheese. LOL

Then we all just relaxed in front of the TV and played with Max. It was a nice evening.

Today, I am taking Max to the vet - so he can go on a car ride - and he is out of treats, so I am getting them. I am also going to ask if they can weigh him - he is gettnig to be a big boy and I am curious.

Gonna also stop at the meat market to get buns - and maybe some hamburgers - we are hungry for hamburgers on the grill this weekend.

Then, I will spend the rest of the day in my sewing room, finishing up a few projects.

D~

 

[DMGeurts]

D~ I can totally understand your dilemma re: quitting Target. I know a lot of people on here sew, but I also know a lot don't. I have to say for the amount of time us sewers put into our work, the profit gained is minimal. People may think you put $10 into a bag and sell it for much more. Some people have no clue how much quality fabric costs, that's it's additional to quilt things, that prices of zippers and trims add up, the cost of embroidery thread, etc -- and that's just materials. With the time it takes to make a bag when you look at your profit I bet you are not even making minimum wage -- I am willing to bet you make less than $5 an hour and who wants to survive on that? So to me bottom line is if you need a job for finances, keep your job at Target. If you don't need to work and want just a little fun money, then go for the sewing. I keep thinking about opening a shop, but then I keep thinking I could get another part time job and if I work just one day a week at real job in that one day I'd probably make as much as I'd make in two or three months of sewing. Just weigh it out.

All that being said, I do think if you made some bags RTS they would sell as long as you stick to really popular characters like the fab five or maybe a fun Alice bag or something generic like an AK bag. I promise, those would sell! I think those would be worth doing to test the waters.

You've got it exactly right Andrea... I hate to say this - but I do think I am going to have to up my prices for next year. I won't adjust anything that's already been ordered, but I will have to re-evaluate.

I really don't make anything on each bag... Supplies cost me - usually - over $50 per bag... with all the notions... It takes me about 25 hours from start to finish on a bag (and that really depends on the detail of the applique, sometimes it's more)... I average less than $2/hour per bag - which isn't worth my time at all. If I didn't love doing it, I wouldn't do it - that's the bottom line. But I can't price myself out of the market either, or they wouldn't sell.

I could take short cuts, to help aleviate my costs - I could use cheap fabric, and I could skip the quilting all together... but then my bags wouldn't be the quality they are, and the reputation I've built would be in jeopardy. Since what I do make is truly unique, and I don't employ a Chinese sweat shop in my basement, everyone (not people here - just everyone in general) will just have to realize that if they want the quality, it's going to cost them more than they think. And I don't mean this in a mean or hurtful way, it's just the truth. You wouldn't believe how many times I've been told that my items are too expensive - and I don't apologize - I know they appear to be very expensive, but I can't do anything to cut the costs, unless I sacrafice quality - because I can't afford to take a loss on this either.

I do this because I enjoy seeing people love my stuff - plain and simple. I love that what I make becomes a part of creating family memories - it's in all their pictures - and it becomes something that makes their days in the park easier. I hope that my bags and accessories are carried on more than one family vacation to Disney, and that the people that purchase them really enjoy using them.

So, some day, I might get lucky enough to quit my job and do this full time... but that's going to mean that my family will have to pick up my financial slack - and I just don't think that's fair to ask of them. Especially Josh, if it wasn't for him having a good job with good benefits and working long and sometimes odd hours - I wouldn't be able to do this at all. I am very fortunate.

OK - that's enough rambling today... I must go work on a bag.

D~

 

[VBAndrea]

You've got it exactly right Andrea... I hate to say this - but I do think I am going to have to up my prices for next year. I won't adjust anything that's already been ordered, but I will have to re-evaluate.

I really don't make anything on each bag... Supplies cost me - usually - over $50 per bag... with all the notions... It takes me about 25 hours from start to finish on a bag (and that really depends on the detail of the applique, sometimes it's more)... I average less than $2/hour per bag - which isn't worth my time at all. If I didn't love doing it, I wouldn't do it - that's the bottom line. But I can't price myself out of the market either, or they wouldn't sell.

I could take short cuts, to help aleviate my costs - I could use cheap fabric, and I could skip the quilting all together... but then my bags wouldn't be the quality they are, and the reputation I've built would be in jeopardy. Since what I do make is truly unique, and I don't employ a Chinese sweat shop in my basement, everyone (not people here - just everyone in general) will just have to realize that if they want the quality, it's going to cost them more than they think. And I don't mean this in a mean or hurtful way, it's just the truth. You wouldn't believe how many times I've been told that my items are too expensive - and I don't apologize - I know they appear to be very expensive, but I can't do anything to cut the costs, unless I sacrafice quality - because I can't afford to take a loss on this either.

I do this because I enjoy seeing people love my stuff - plain and simple. I love that what I make becomes a part of creating family memories - it's in all their pictures - and it becomes something that makes their days in the park easier. I hope that my bags and accessories are carried on more than one family vacation to Disney, and that the people that purchase them really enjoy using them.

So, some day, I might get lucky enough to quit my job and do this full time... but that's going to mean that my family will have to pick up my financial slack - and I just don't think that's fair to ask of them. Especially Josh, if it wasn't for him having a good job with good benefits and working long and sometimes odd hours - I wouldn't be able to do this at all. I am very fortunate.

OK - that's enough rambling today... I must go work on a bag.

D~

D~, I actually want to start sewing shirts awhile back for my ds. When he was little he would so many of the Hawaiian style shirts (you know, on the order of bowling shirts) so I bought a pattern and then went to get fabric. I couldn't believe that with fabric, buttons and interfacing it would cost me more to make a shirt than it would to buy them! I have NEVER opened the pattern up -- it just wasn't worth it. I do sew now, not to save money, but to get my dd things she likes. And that's also why I do BG's -- if I made the outfits to sell the profit would be marginal so right now I'm happier just doing them and donating them to families who have been through a lot with uncontrollable health issues. That's why I've always been so on the fence about selling -- a lot of people want me to sell, but I really am not sure it would be worth it for such a low profit margin. Sometimes I get lucky and get a great deal on quality fabric, but let me tell you, after making my dd's Dorothy dress with $3/yd fabric from Walmart there is no way I would ever sell something like that -- my button holes look terrible. The fabric itself is comfy for dd, it was just a bit too flimsy to sew well on. And look at someone like Nini who puts countless hours into her quilts -- I guarantee there is no way she gets paid what they are worth.

 

[solana131]

I do this because I enjoy seeing people love my stuff - plain and simple. I love that what I make becomes a part of creating family memories - it's in all their pictures - and it becomes something that makes their days in the park easier. I hope that my bags and accessories are carried on more than one family vacation to Disney, and that the people that purchase them really enjoy using them.

I saw a lady with one of your bags when we went in Feb. It was too busy to talk to her, but I got her attention and said "I love your D~ bag". I wish you could've seen her face .... she was so proud of it! They are just so beautiful and unique, and magical...just like Disney I can't wait to get mine!

 

[pharmjenn]

D~, from the photos you bags are incredible and well worth the cost. Yes, I gulped when I saw the prices on your etsy page, but for a homemade, custom designed product you expect to pay more.
I would love to know how to find the info on the launch page. I tried searching facebook but had no luck.
I am glad Max is doing better. I got stung on the inside of my lip in college when a bee got into my soda can. That was neither attractive nor comfortable. Made it dificult to eat and drink for a couple days, much like after getting Novocain at the dentist.

 

[nannye]

D, since i know utterly nothing about american girl dolls, is there one that looks like cindy or another princess?

 

[blessedmom4]

D, since i know utterly nothing about american girl dolls, is there one that looks like cindy or another princess?

Erin, If anybody would know, it is D~. You could go to the AG site and look up the Just like me Dolls...there are five with Blonde Hair and Blue eyes...

 

[blessedmom4]

Glad Max recovered from his bee sting. Bandit is a short, tiny dog as you know...he likes to water the bees, if you know what I mean (I think he just doesn't pay attention to them). They like to sting him in return...we use a paste of meat tenderizer that helps his swelling and any pain he might have, works like a charm. It wouldn't work for the tongue though...copper pennies work too...Just in case you ever need to know that...you were VERY smart to get the benadry in him! You are such a good Mommy!

 

[miprender]

Good morning everyone

D.... I'll add my 2¢ on the quitting your day job ( I know you asked right) I really do love to sew but I think if it became a job I wouldn't enjoy it as much knowing I had to sell to make money. Right now I have a really great deal with my boss and I work 2 days (about 10 hrs each) in the office and then anything else I can do at home. There is no way I could sew that much to make the income I make now, plus I would have Dh on my back telling me I am not charging enough

 

[NiniMorris]

Another quick drive by....

When we lived in Germany, our doxie bit a bee. She swelled up like a balloon. Her nose practically disappeared! (she looked kinda like a Pug at this point!) The American doctor was closed, and I couldn't use my German/English dictionary work well enough to explain to the German vet what was wrong...so I found a neighbor who could translate. We gave our poor puppy some bendryl and she was fine in a few hours. We just barely got to her in time...she was starting to have trouble breathing.

Although she lived for another 18 years...she NEVER bothered a bee again!

Nini

 

[DMGeurts]

D~, I actually want to start sewing shirts awhile back for my ds. When he was little he would so many of the Hawaiian style shirts (you know, on the order of bowling shirts) so I bought a pattern and then went to get fabric. I couldn't believe that with fabric, buttons and interfacing it would cost me more to make a shirt than it would to buy them! I have NEVER opened the pattern up -- it just wasn't worth it. I do sew now, not to save money, but to get my dd things she likes. And that's also why I do BG's -- if I made the outfits to sell the profit would be marginal so right now I'm happier just doing them and donating them to families who have been through a lot with uncontrollable health issues. That's why I've always been so on the fence about selling -- a lot of people want me to sell, but I really am not sure it would be worth it for such a low profit margin. Sometimes I get lucky and get a great deal on quality fabric, but let me tell you, after making my dd's Dorothy dress with $3/yd fabric from Walmart there is no way I would ever sell something like that -- my button holes look terrible. The fabric itself is comfy for dd, it was just a bit too flimsy to sew well on. And look at someone like Nini who puts countless hours into her quilts -- I guarantee there is no way she gets paid what they are worth.

Yes, I do agree with this... You really have to be able to afford to do it because you love it - there really isn't enough profit in it to do it for money.

I saw a lady with one of your bags when we went in Feb. It was too busy to talk to her, but I got her attention and said "I love your D~ bag". I wish you could've seen her face .... she was so proud of it! They are just so beautiful and unique, and magical...just like Disney I can't wait to get mine!

Sorry... But this made me ROFL Suzie... Around here, a "D bag" means something else entirely.

I love the story though, and I know exactly what you meant... If I can get that prototype done before your trip - I still might be able to get your back pack to you in time... No guarantees - but it's my goal.

D~, from the photos you bags are incredible and well worth the cost. Yes, I gulped when I saw the prices on your etsy page, but for a homemade, custom designed product you expect to pay more.
I would love to know how to find the info on the launch page. I tried searching facebook but had no luck.
I am glad Max is doing better. I got stung on the inside of my lip in college when a bee got into my soda can. That was neither attractive nor comfortable. Made it dificult to eat and drink for a couple days, much like after getting Novocain at the dentist.

Thanks Jen! Your bag is coming up on my list... beginning/mid-June.

Yes, Max is doing much better! Your sting sounds awful! I bet it was hard to eat or drink!

D, since i know utterly nothing about american girl dolls, is there one that looks like cindy or another princess?

Yes... I would do one of these if you are going for the look of Cindy... Personally, I like the first and second one the best.

http://store.americangirl.com/agshop/html/set/id/1419/uid/86
http://store.americangirl.com/agshop/html/set/id/1424/uid/86
http://store.americangirl.com/agshop/html/set/id/1636/uid/86
http://store.americangirl.com/agshop/html/set/id/1429/uid/86

Erin, If anybody would know, it is D~. You could go to the AG site and look up the Just like me Dolls...there are five with Blonde Hair and Blue eyes...

Thanks Judy.

Glad Max recovered from his bee sting. Bandit is a short, tiny dog as you know...he likes to water the bees, if you know what I mean (I think he just doesn't pay attention to them). They like to sting him in return...we use a paste of meat tenderizer that helps his swelling and any pain he might have, works like a charm. It wouldn't work for the tongue though...copper pennies work too...Just in case you ever need to know that...you were VERY smart to get the benadry in him! You are such a good Mommy!

Yah - I never would have thought of an alergic reaction or a bee sting with Max... And I never would have thought to give him Benedryl if it wasn't for my neighbor telling me that - so they get all the credit for my smartness on this occasion. I thought he might have had something lodged in there.

LOL about Bandit... Poor guy - it's so hard to be short. Fortunate for him that you know exactly what to do to treat him.

Good morning everyone

D.... I'll add my 2¢ on the quitting your day job ( I know you asked right) I really do love to sew but I think if it became a job I wouldn't enjoy it as much knowing I had to sell to make money. Right now I have a really great deal with my boss and I work 2 days (about 10 hrs each) in the office and then anything else I can do at home. There is no way I could sew that much to make the income I make now, plus I would have Dh on my back telling me I am not charging enough

Yes, I agree with this theory too... It would lose it's fun-ness if I was forced to do it all the time. And yes, DH is already on my back for not charging enough...

I wish I had time to chat more today, but I have a lot on my plate, and I must get to the PO before it closes this morning. Have a great day everyone!

D~

 

[mommy2mrb]

I have the same issue with scrapbooking, people have asked me to work on their albums, when I tell them how much per hour they say no thank you! so I feel your pain about not "making" money with what you love to do!

hope you have a productive and fun day!!!

 

[nannye]

D, we are going the first week of july the 5-12. if i decided to go ahead how much time do you think you would need to make a cinderella costume? I'm really not sure. The dolls are more expensive than i realized, and I'm already paying for disney for a kid who is not mone , but i really wanted to get her a quality doll if I decide to do a doll. She is not really a Doll kid, but she is only 5, and she deserves a nice doll lol.

 

[Queen of Cumberland]

Hi D~,

I'm still following along on your TR. I'm glad to hear that your Dad and Brother are ok following their accident. Accidents like that are so worrisome.

I'm also very glad to hear that Max is doing ok following his bee sting. While our dogs never did get into bee stings, our neighbour's did and it can be very scary. Our dogs just loved to mess with skunks. And they hated to have baths. To make a long story short, we went through a ton of vanilla extract every summer.

I did have a bee incident as a 4 yr old. The bee was in my pop can and when I took a drink, it went into my mouth. I spit it back into the can and then my parents took care of it. Luckily, no bee sting for me, but to this day, I cannot bring myself to drink pop from a can.

My take on sewing full time - while I would enjoy it for a while, I think I would end up seeing it as too much of a chore and would end up resenting it. Not what I want to happen with something I enjoy doing. Plus as others have stated, you can never charge enough for your work. It is like that with any hand made item. My mother knits and for all of the work she puts into an item, if she were to charge an hourly rate, no one could afford it (not to mention the cost of wool these days). That is why we appreciate her cozy gifts to us every year.

 

[solana131]

If I can get that prototype done before your trip - I still might be able to get your back pack to you in time... No guarantees - but it's my goal.

That would be awesome! But I certainly don't expect that. I will wait my turn. Maybe a tad impatiently...but wait anyway

 

[DMGeurts]

Another quick drive by....

When we lived in Germany, our doxie bit a bee. She swelled up like a balloon. Her nose practically disappeared! (she looked kinda like a Pug at this point!) The American doctor was closed, and I couldn't use my German/English dictionary work well enough to explain to the German vet what was wrong...so I found a neighbor who could translate. We gave our poor puppy some bendryl and she was fine in a few hours. We just barely got to her in time...she was starting to have trouble breathing.

Although she lived for another 18 years...she NEVER bothered a bee again!

Nini

You snuck in here yesterday Nini... Wow!! Your poor puppy! You are very lucky that you were able to find someone to translate for you, and you got some Benedryl in her.

I have the same issue with scrapbooking, people have asked me to work on their albums, when I tell them how much per hour they say no thank you! so I feel your pain about not "making" money with what you love to do!

hope you have a productive and fun day!!!

Thanks for understanding Lisa!

Hi D~,

I'm still following along on your TR. I'm glad to hear that your Dad and Brother are ok following their accident. Accidents like that are so worrisome.

Thank you.

I'm also very glad to hear that Max is doing ok following his bee sting. While our dogs never did get into bee stings, our neighbour's did and it can be very scary. Our dogs just loved to mess with skunks. And they hated to have baths. To make a long story short, we went through a ton of vanilla extract every summer.

Again - thank you... I shouldn't LOL about the skunks... Rufus LOVED to roll in dead fish at the lake - and he was always sooooo proud of himself - he'd come in the house grinning from ear to ear, like he had just found the most magnificant cologne. LOL It was Josh's job to bathe him in the lake, and also to bury the fish... I can't do things like that - I am such a wuss.

I did have a bee incident as a 4 yr old. The bee was in my pop can and when I took a drink, it went into my mouth. I spit it back into the can and then my parents took care of it. Luckily, no bee sting for me, but to this day, I cannot bring myself to drink pop from a can.

I've never had that happen to me - but I have heard of it happening, so I am the same way. You were really lucky!

My take on sewing full time - while I would enjoy it for a while, I think I would end up seeing it as too much of a chore and would end up resenting it. Not what I want to happen with something I enjoy doing. Plus as others have stated, you can never charge enough for your work. It is like that with any hand made item. My mother knits and for all of the work she puts into an item, if she were to charge an hourly rate, no one could afford it (not to mention the cost of wool these days). That is why we appreciate her cozy gifts to us every year.

Yes... I agree with this as well. I appreciate hand made gifts so much more now that I make things myself - I used to be one of "those" people who didnt' appreciate that sort of thing as much as I should have. Now, I prefer hand made gifts... There is nothing more thoughtful - IMO.

That would be awesome! But I certainly don't expect that. I will wait my turn. Maybe a tad impatiently...but wait anyway

LOL Suzie... It's my goal - but we'll have to see.

I had a really nice day yesterday. V and I went to town to do some grocery shopping... Yikes! I wasn't planning to spend that much.

I also had to buy supplies for the progressive dinner we are doing with our neighbors on Friday night... I am really looking forward to that! I am planning to make sausage won-tons and reuben dip... Not sure what we are serving for drinks at our house??? I need to Google some good adult drinks to serve... The rule is - you have to drink what is served at each house. LOL So, I'd like something creative and fun... I am willing to take suggestions.

I finished up a bag set yesterday morning... I need to wait for the person to receive it (again - sorry - it's my last one like this for a while) before I can post pictures. Hopefully by Tuesday or Wednesday I can post those.

I am also uploading photos for my final update on Day 6.

D~

 

[nannye]

Ah no worries D, I figured you were probably booked up. I'll just have to order something next time
Thanks
Erin