Bursting Soda Mode

 So yesterday morning I got up and decided to do some stitching on my wreath that I bought at Ornament Extravaganza.  I really had to get the house cleaned up so we can decorate, and live (it was awful after being gone all weekend) but I decided to stitch.  And besides, my friend told me not to move Dixie!

 Finally, after getting motivated, I started putting stuff away.  All of my crafty stuff (I have a lot) is stored in a room in the COLD part of the house.  Which is the entire house, except the room we live in.  I sometimes use the rest of the house for items that need refrigeration when my fridge is full. 

Visualize piles on the table if you can.

So, I picked up a basket of ornaments and when I did, my finger caught on this green basket (in the box in the picture below) which was in a box of stuff I got at an auction the other night.  The green basket crashed to the cement floor and shattered in a million pieces.  Two pieces which stuck into the side of a two liter bottle of carbonated soda that my Shug put beside the fridge rather than in the fridge.  They didn't actually stick in the soda, they just hit the soda, put two pinhole size holes in the side of it, and it started squirting out across the room.  Luckily, I had shoes on.  I ran through the glass, grabbed the soda and put it in the sink.  I thought if I opened it, it would stop squirting through the holes.  Nope.  That would have been too easy. The soda starting shooting through the top like a geyser!  I then changed my plans for the afternoon, stayed home and cleaned all afternoon. 

And I don't even like soda.  I might drink one every now and then, but it's rare.  I'm a coffee, tea, and hot chocolate kind of gal.

 

Yes, I know the picture is upside down.  You fix it!

See these packets.  They do not puncture or squirt or shoot in the air.  They are calming.

So that evening, I had what I am now calling my

"meltdown relief" drink.

and I stitched some more on my wreath.  This was after cleaning the entire room up, and cooking dinner.  Ok...dinner was a frozen pizza for him and popcorn for me.

Yesterday was the second meltdown I've had in two weeks!  WTH?  I'm about to have another one as I see a truck, a BIG truck pulling in our driveway and I'm in my pj's.  Double WTH?  

Think he saw me?

 

 I hid in the bathroom!  Call first peeps.  I have no idea who that was! And guess who forgot his phone today.  My Shug.  So I couldn't call him to see if we were expecting someone.

So anyway, what the heck is it with these meltdowns?  Oh well...it's not all bad because when I get in "that mode," we'll call it the "bursting soda mode" I start pitching!
 As a result, I have a box of stuff going to the goodwill, I threw out two bags of "trash," and I still haven't opened the dreaded box.  (the box from last year where all the ornaments busted)
And I got my wreath finished.  It's nice starting and finishing a project in two days.  And still getting other stuff done.

 So, last evening I started a fire in the fireplace (teehee) and hung the wreath.

While heaving/pitching/placing stuff in the cold part of the house (sometimes I heave to release energy) I found this gingerman that I made last year during all of the Wool Scrap Saturday events.  I put him by the Oxford Rug Punch tree I made this year.  My decorations this year are coming on slowly.

 We are supposed to put the tree up tonight.  I have to move stuff around to make room for the tree, so I need to go.  But first.....got these at the auction the other night too.  My Shug bid on them, for me.  $2.00 each.  I love them.

and this was in my Advent calendar today.  I'm going to try to wear it under my bee suit this summer!

Cindy Bee

Ornament Extravaganza weekend, Day 6, 7, 8

Good Monday morning!  I have got to tell you what happened to me at the Goodwill store.  It was Friday evening, dark, and raining cats and dogs. I decided after attending my friend's Mother's viewing I would go to Goodwill on the way home and cheer up.  I was in the "plastics" aisle, and I saw some melamine peeking out of the junk.  I started rooting around.  I had been wanting a blue melmac cup and plate ever since I saw

 this cute little crafty cup and tree at Horton's in Tipton a couple of years ago.

 

I bought the gingerbread cutter last year just in case I ever found the dishes. 
WELL....they were in my cart and some guy comes up to me and says, "Are those melmac?" 
I said, "Well, it says Melamine on the back.  Is that the same thing?" 
"No" he says. 
Then he says, "Does it say made in China?"
 I said, "No, it says Made in Illinois." 
He says, "People really like those, they are popular right now." 
I said, "Well I like them too, but I'm trying to decide if I really need them or not."   (they match Coral Belle!)
Then as I walked around I noticed he was hanging around....kind of stalking me.  I'd be at the end of an aisle and there he'd be!  Odd, I thought.
 I went to the check out and he had two heaping full carts waiting up front.  When I checked out, he got in the aisle beside me, and was leaning over looking in my cart!  WTH peeps!  So, I checked out and I called a friend and talked to her about the dishes.  I had decided I would only buy the four cups and plates, and put the rest back.  But they were still in my cart.  I told the sales lady I would put them back.   Well, my friend reminded me they would be half price the next day.  So I hid them! 
Then my friend told me I had better be careful in case the "stalker" was in the parking lot.  I said No, he wouldn't be there.  I hid the dishes and walked out to my car and I was still on the phone with my friend and he was parked somewhat close to me and got out of his car and yelled, "Did you buy those melmac dishes!"  Weird I thought!  I said, "yeah, some of them" and he got in his van and left.

Saturday morning I set up my booth at Ornament Extravaganz at 8:30, and took off with my cousin Vickie.  OE didn't start until 10:00.  We went to the Goodwill, grabbed the dishes!  They were right where I left them....in a basket...pushed behind a bunch of other baskets....on the bottom shelf....in the back!!!!  LOL!   Then we went to Patti Beck's open house.  My Shug told me I could buy something for me, from him for Christmas.  I know, not romantic but I get something I wouldn't buy myself. Well,  I probably would have bought this blondie for myself....

  but not one of these.  But he did!This picture does not do them justice and he has already hidden the one I bought from him for me.  They are not all exactly alike, being made by an artist.

 Here are some from years past.

And some other fun stuff.

 This life size santa is in front of her house.  She makes one every year to match the "santa of the year." 

 Then we hurried back and I spent the day at the Art Gallery for Ornament Extravaganza.
Here are some pictures from the Ornament Extravaganza weekend.
Good friends in this picture. Leslie on the left, Rebecca behind me and Debbie on the right.

 My Shug drilled the holes in my beeswax ornaments.  I was afraid I'd ruin them!

 They are made out of wax my bees drew out on the frames.  They were cappings and I had to melt them down and clean them out, then melt them again and put them in the molds.  I think they turned out pretty good.  If you are interested in them they are $5.00 for the larger ones and $3.00 for the candy canes and stars.

 More ornaments.  The lady behind me was selling kits to make these and they were very cute.  They would be great for a kid craft.

 More ornament kits....

 and ornaments that were for sale.

 The Granny Bee makes a different Santa each year

 and Linda R. was felting this Santa and tree. Very cute stuff ladies.  And so much talent.

 I bought one of these kits (below) only I decided to but small red beads on it for the holly berries.  I'll show you when I'm finished making it.  I have a tree I put up with all hand made ornaments on it.

  

Deb Working on her redwork pattern.  It's going to be a quilted tablecloth.

 Leslie working on felting, but she didn't get to work long because several of us bought the wreath kits from her and wanted her guidance.  She is so patient.

 Jeannie....well, this is funny. I said, "you look familiar to me."  "Yes, well, I'm the lady that wanted to buy your house in town really bad........"  Oh my gosh.  I knew all about her, thought she looked familiar but never placed her name with the face!  We really enjoyed getting to know each other.  She has a blog, Taking the backroad...and what was really funny (embarrassing) was when I asked her if she was on facebook and she said yes and I looked her up and we were already friends.  jeeesh....

 And on that note, and this long post, I will share with you my fun Advent calendar presents.  I got some hand cream, some socks, and an ornament that says.....

Peace!

Cindy Bee

Day 4 & 5 and Thanksgiving and family and OE and (phew)!

Come on....You know you want it!

 I know...I missed yesterday.   What was I thinking!  Blog every single day....well peeps, my battery went dead on my laptop and blah blah blah!  Gotta drag the thing to an outlet and plug it in.  Such nonsense!

On day 4 I woke up hungry and what would be in my Advent tree but biscotti and coffee!  Perfect for a PRE-breakfast snack!  It's the new 4th meal!  Pre-breakfast!

Day 5, more drinkable goodies.  Have you ever had hot chocolate with peppermint marshmallows?  YUM!  Or go to our local coffee shop and order a Winter Wonderland.  Double YUM! I'd do it right now if I weren't in my pj's at 10:45 am!

YESTERDAY
 My Shug has been bugging me for a pie. It's almost gone today and I've had NONE!  Learn how to make peach pie and he'll be your bestie forever! 

I am one that has always made my own pie dough, but living in one room with this much counter space...

Yes....that is my counter top and cabinets in my kitchen which I have lived in for two years, going on my third winter....
I've changed my ways.  I know my Sister did not believe me last weekend when I said I have four pie doughs in my fridge, so here ya go Tess....(4 for $8 at the grocery a couple of weeks ago.)

 ALSO YESTERDAY....this is in Mary Jane's Farm magazine this  month, which happens to be one of my favorites.  And since I am a beekeeper, and since I'm attending Ornament Extravaganza (OE) tomorrow,

 I made these!  Adorbs huh?  I need to run the string through them yet, which I'm afraid is going to give me trouble because they are thick.  This is wax from my own hives.  And don't think for one minute wax comes out looking like this because it does not!  It has to be cleaned...and cleaned....and cleaned again.  Otherwise a bee wing might be popping out of Santa's nose! 

 Do you go to bed at night thinking crafty thoughts?  Sometimes I do...and I was thinking this Wednesday night, after making my rug punch ornament.

 Could it work?

I had to try...

It worked! 

I know, the plastic deer heads probably gotta go.....I just had to try...

 I need a star or an angel....or maybe I'll put a next on top with this bird!

 

Click here for more info on Ornament Extravaganza.

TODAY
getting ready for tomorrow and I have got to get this huge cabbage cut up, blanched and in the freezer.  Our neighbor gave it to us.  It got a bit of frostbite but most of it is good.  Timing...I really didn't need one more thing to do.  Anyone care to guess why it's on the stove?

That would be because it doubles as a counter top.  Oh yeah....I'll be blogging about living in one small, eeny teeny, itsy bitsy, tiny-WHINEY! room. 

But right now I HAVE GOT TO finish off our THANKSGIVING pics.

My Sister and her daughter made the cutest little pumpkin pies!  

 She is so crafty!

We had a lot of dessert.

I made persimmon pudding.  Have you ever had it?  It's yummy.  An old fashioned dessert.

And lastly, we celebrated Lorri's 50th birthday on Thanksgiving!!!

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY LORRI!

There's Jesus in the background, smiling, talking to Joey.  He loves us you know...Jesus.  Even if we have long hair and a long beard, even if we say things wrong sometimes, even if we don't blog every day when we say we will!  He loves us. 

Let me get a tiny bit serious for one minute.  I'll be brief.  I get a lot of comments on my blog, and from my friends, about how I'm so lucky to have such a fun family, and fortunate that we all get along.  Peeps, we all have our share of family disfunction.  I don't care who you are, or who you THINK you are, and how perfect you think you are.  You're not.  I'm not.  And neither is anyone in our family.  And I would bet that there isn't one member of our family, or our extended family, that hasn't had their feelings hurt at one time or another.  Here's the deal.  We forgive.  We have to.  We all NEED to.  If we don't, we won't have family.  And we all NEED family.  I would urge you to send a letter, make a call, and forgive this holiday season.

I know this is long.  I don't know if I'll be blogging the next two days!  I know...that bit about blogging every day....hogwash!!!!  I'm going to try to take my laptop with me to OE, but if they don't have wifi, I won't be posting again until Monday.  Have a great weekend if I don't see ya!

Cindy Bee