Fly away...

Ahhh.... I FINALLY get to go away where the sun shines all day, and the ocean is clean and pretty. It's only for a few days... but that should be enough to raise my spirits. Just like a flower... feed me, water me, and stick me in the sun... and I THRIVE. Keep me in a dark, cold place and I live, but begrudgingly.

However... since LIFE isn't always fair... in order to play in the sun one must work their butt off before they go... and most likely play 'catch up' when they return. Such is the way it is in my life.

I am back to selling books on the internet... and doing quite well. Slow and steady wins the race, so I'm adding books a few at a time on a daily basis. In the past I would throw all of my inventory up on line in one giant move and then go crazy packing and shipping. Semi-Retirement (or maybe old age) has taught me to take my time... think the process through... pay attention to placement. My patience is paying off.

Working for my daughter, Stephanie brings brightness to my day. She runs her own business... Kreative Event Services (her ESTY shop is kreativees) . Her main item is Wedding Invitations... however she does invitations for all of life's celebrations also... and favors... menus... etc. She deals with the customers and does the design work... and I'm a worker bee. Lately she had me silkscreen a flower on to the front of a Wedding Invitation... and the next minute I needed to sew a table runner and ring bearer's pillow. In the next breath I was Hot Foil Stamping paper napkins and business folders... and today was spent at her house assembling these fabulous Booklet Wedding Invitations. You never know what she will have me do next. It's exciting!!

It's kind of sweet knowing your kids think you can do EVERYTHING. When they were itty bitty kids they knew you could scare the big bad monsters away from under their bed at night. A kiss on a boo boo made it all better. Whip up a paper-mache volcano? Sure. Make a Dolphin Halloween Costume for the school parade the next day? No problem. Teach them to drive? Piece of Cake. THEN... we go stupid. THEY know EVERYTHING... and we know NOTHING. One day, out of the blue with absolutely no warning... they decide we are not as dumb as we appear (although we are still considered old and feeble) and THAT is how I get suckered into doing these crazy projects. How can you say NO to a child that thinks you can 'do it all'?  

Below are photos of the silk screen job. I don't really have silk screen equipment. If you look closely you will notice I used a lot of duct tape, masking tape, cardboard, plastic cups, and ingenuity. To burn the screen I rigged a work light hanging from my guest bathroom towel bar, a cardboard box, and a black plastic trash bag. The only item I spent money on was the silk screen itself... and I got that at Michael's with a 40% off coupon. Actually, I could have used an old pair of panty hose and an old frame... but I haven't worn panty hose in YEARS, so it was actually cheaper to just buy a silk screen already made.

Flat surface made of cardboard and duct tape... using plastic cup as a 'leg'... and duct tape is a hinge at top.

Using cardboard and masking tape for registration.

Overnight drying and dining table.

Close up of finished screened lotus.

If I didn't have the stuff to silk screen, why did I take the job??? Because no one said I COULDN'T do it. We all just assumed I could. THAT'S the power of positive thinking.  Remember Thomas the Tank Engine??? I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN... I KNOW I CAN, I KNOW I CAN, I KNOW I CAN. Just wait until you see what I THINK I CAN do next!!! I'll give you a hint... it involves my bedroom walls... and I have no money for wallpaper. BUT... I have to head south and warm up a bit first.

Stay warm and THINK POSITIVE!

On The Move...

Listing items for sale on craigslist, packing up 27 years of belongings and finding a place to move were the main focus planned for last weekend. The Somerset County Sheriff's Department agreed that 6 days was not enough time to gather my things and move, so I now have until the 19th. However, I didn't get very far on my list. Why??? I am so glad you asked.

My daughter, Stephanie called Friday in a panic which changed the entire weekend for me. She runs her own business, Kreative Events... wedding invitations, favors, 'day of' co-ordination, photography, and so much more is basically what her company is all about. Any way... one wedding this weekend was desperately in need of another worker... not to mention that she could also use help making 35 caramel apples. The only project I absolutely HAD to do that Friday was to sew samples of a fabric tote for another wedding she was doing. Of course I said I would help. Starting with dipping apples at Stephanie's on Friday night.

Dipping caramel apples is much more difficult than you would imagine. The apples need to be cold and dry, the caramel hot. Quick dip... then set on a cold surface so it doesn't pool much. We encountered so many problems... the sticks pulling out too easily, caramel sliding off the apple, pool of caramel too large around the bottom, bubbles forming, waxed paper sticking. UGH! We persevered and ended up with an acceptable looking display. Stephanie is now ready to tackle the 120 apples for next week's wedding.

Saturday I had to be in Delaware at 11:30am to catch a ride to my wedding assignment... helping Heidi (Stephanie's sister-in-law) with a 'day of' co-ordination in... SURPRISE... Baltimore! It never dawned on me to ask WHERE the wedding was. I guess it wasn't really important after all, I was going to help out no matter where it was. 

Next time you attend a wedding, look around. You just have no idea what happened in that room before you arrived to make your celebration a FABULOUS event. Let me run it down for you...

We arrived at The Belvedere (a beautiful old hotel turned condo) around 1pm. Unloading the van and hauling everything up to the 12th floor ballroom was first on the list. Heidi hastily ran down the list of things I was responsible for... then took off for the ceremony. Thank heavens I'm an adult and don't need much direction. I unpacked everything and ran around the gigantic ballroom setting up the tables with centerpieces, menus, table numbers, CDs, candles, and such. Checking the table diagram making sure the correct number of places were set at the tables. Wouldn't it be embarrassing if there were 10 people expected at the table and only 8 places set?

Filling the center vases with water was the hardest part believe it or not. I only had one pitcher and 24 vases to fill... with the only water faucet way far away in a place called never land. I kicked off my shoes and began the trek back and forth. On the third trip I spied a large bucket, looked around to see if any one was around to ask... nope... so I grabbed it. Ahhh... ingenuity wins again... Now I can fill 4 vases at a time... once I figure out how to haul the heavy bucket around the ballroom.

The cake arrived... it was pretty, but plain. "Here's the photo... who has the flowers"? the delivery man asked. Uh-oh... Heidi is bringing the flowers back with her from the church. I had no clue that finishing the cake was part of the job. SURPRISE... again.

Place cards laid out in alphabetical order on the main entrance table, flowers added to the tables, number of seats checked again, move the extra chairs to the back room, hide our empty boxes, decorate the table for the presents and cards, pick up litter from the carpet, ask George to wash the sticky dance floor, figure out how to turn on the lights at the other end of the ball room, wash spilled cosmos off 2 chairs, replace a cracked centerpiece bowl, and then the band shows up. An eight piece band... not the DJ the floor is set up for. SURPRISE... again. Presto change-o... room for 8. Light the candles... and stand back as the Bride and Groom gush over the beauty of the room.

Once the Bridal Party arrives and is introduced I feel my job here is done. My feet ache, my knees forgot how to bend and my lower back is crying for a heating pad... and my stomach is growling. Food... ah... sweet food! A wonderful buffet is set up in the end room for the band and other workers. Yum! I sit down to relax... that's when Heidi tells me we still have work to do. We need to keep an eye on things... make sure the Bride and Groom don't get hung up talking too long with someone they can't seem to break away from... check with the band to schedule all the speeches and toasts... not to mention the Bride's parents anniversary dance. Keep an eye on the box with the checks, make sure people know to sign the photo board, get paper towels for the men's room, give directions to get home, sew the Bride's dress when it falls apart... and on and on and on it goes.

When the party is over we charge back in to action cleaning and packing up... AND dropping off the gifts and envelopes to the Bridal Suite... in another hotel. Finally got back to Delaware at 1:00am. Tired, sore, and happy. All in all it was a huge bit of fun. Here are the photos:

Place cards 

Decorated Cake

Table #9

Beautiful Ballroom