Where Have I Been?

I have  been gone from this blog for quite some time. Seems  like there was always so much to do and too many things to figure out. When I look back on some of my first posts, I realize  my life has changed in the last year. Some changes are  pretty significant. Some are minor changes. I will try to get back to blogging and catch you up on all that has happened!

Vintage Sheets

I have to tell you I have been a little obsessed with vintage sheets lately. I love the patterns, the colors, the softness........ I am not quite sure what I am going to do with my stash, there are so many projects out there.

Is it green or frugal?

The lines blur for me when I think about something being 'green' or 'frugal'. Am I being green when I make my own reusable sandwhich and snack bags? Am I green of frugal when I use cloth napkins? What about when I recycle? Am I green or do I just want the few extra bucks I get from turning in my cans?

I am not toatlly green , nor am I totally frugal! I do hate waste. I also hate what we are doing to our environment. I hate buying things brand new unless it is necessary. I am a teacher and I do not like it when my kids throw out whole sheets of paper just because it has a mark on it. I have lots of paper, but the waste still bothers me. I love shopping at thrift stores.

So, I made reusable sandwhich size bags and I have plastic containers for my lunch. I have a basket of cloth napkins for everyday use and even started putting those in my lunch bag. I made reusable hand warmers and used them almost every day this winter. I recycle and keep the money. I bring reusable grocery bags when I go shopping and I return the plastic bags I get back to the store's recycle bin.

I am going to make more reusable sandwhich bags and cloth napkins. I am also going to make reusable produce bags and reusable makeup wipes for my daughter.

Am I frugal or green? You decide.

RAFT

If you are a teacher or day care provider in the Sacramento area you have to check out RAFT. This is a great store for teachers that sells new and repurposed items for the classroom. They also have a die cut area that has all the die cuts you could ever need., and you can use them for free! I have been able to get so many teaching kits at a great price - like $2 for a kit that serves 20 students! They have supplies for all the subject areas. I went today and scored books for reading, plastic sheets to use with dry erase markers, a ream of heavy glossy paper, a bagful of fabric, a science kit to test reaction time, 6 die cut maps of the US, keychains for the prize box, posters of birds to go with our science unit, tins for a future project, a 2 drawer desktop organizer, two magazine racks, four Sharpies and some other smaller items. I spent a whopping $20!

I know other cities have stores similar to this one and they are well worth it. When you have to spend your own money on classroom supplies it helps to have a business that keeps that in mind.

If you want to know more about RAFT just google it- there is one in Sacramento, San Jose and Redwood City.

Pinterest

I have been looking at the Pinterest sight for a few weeks now. I finally decided it might be worth it to sign up and create my own account. I realize I am a little behind the times with this one. It seems like everyone has been on and I am the last holdout!if you are one of the few people who has not been to Pinterest, I suggest you check it out. It is a great place to get new ideas on a variety of topics. Today I discovered they have an education board. I will keep my eye on this one for classroom ideas.

The next thing I need to figure out is how to get a Pinterest button for my blog. Oh, there is so much to learn when you want to do a quality blog. Please have patience with me as I figure it out!

Weekend sewing

I spent the weekend on a couple of projects. The first one was a tea wallet that I had promised a friend. She likes the 70s retro look, so I made the outer cover from psychedelic butterfly print and the inside from some bright shades of green.

My next project was burp clothes. Wish I could give credit to someone for this one, but there are so many patterns and designs, I just winged it. The first one was in pink for a friend who is having her first girl- after three boys! The second was for my third grandson. It's a cute fabric that says I love mommy and daddy. Both are super soft. I used cloth diapers and just zig zagged the flannel to the top.

Project three was a Japanese knot bag. This was the 6th one of these I have made and each one just keeps getting better. Hopefully I will have the technique perfected. I have looked a several differnet tutorials and I haven't been able to find a complete one that I can totally understand. Part of the problem is I am a visual learner and when I don't see a picture of the step I get frustrated and confused!

Project four is a work in progress. My daughter has requested a taggie blanket for the little guy. Right now I am laying out the various tags I am planning on using. I want to figure out the best placemnt before I sew them down.

I will try to post pictures of my projects as soon as I figure out how.