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Welcoming Summer

This year summer begins on June 21st, which at the time this post publishes will be nine days away. Summer is my favorite season of the year for many reasons, including all the lovely green growing things, the long days, the rain storms that often lull me to sleep, and yes, the heat. I grew up in South Florida where there are hot temperatures basically year-round, and the heat of summer is the only time of year that feels comfortable to me. I don't know exactly when I began looking forward to summer so much every year, but it was probably because of school ending. I did not like school at all, so I was always beyond happy for summer vacation. Three months of being able to go to the library when I wanted, ride my bike when I wanted, and play in the park were better than Christmas for me. Almost better than Halloween, too. :) We used to go to the beach most often in summer, and I miss that terribly. This year I want to go as often as possible with my guy. The beach i...
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Three Pretty Things

While at the antique mall where my donated throws were being sold I saw this pretty portait of a frog made out of beads, brooches, necklaces and other bling, and had to take a photo of it. This artist is so clever with how they recycle vintage jewelry and findings into new art. That day this little guy came home with me. He was cheap, made from a very old crazy quilt, very shabby, and has a serene quality that primitives sometimes possess. He'll be hanging out with me in the sewing room. Was it necessary to buy this? Nope. Do I regret the purchase? Nope. I also bought this apothecary jar filled with buttons, threads and other wonders. If you want to sort through it with me, check out more pics here .
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Surreal

A couple of months ago I donated a bunch of the throws and blankets I've made to our local church thrift. I really can't keep everything I make, and I like the thought of the profits from selling my work going to help people in the community (among other things this thrift store provides free food for the needy.) Among the throws I donated that day were the Iris throw and the star blanket I made for a friend's challenge -- second and third from the left. Fast forward to June. My guy and I like to walk antique malls because there is always something fun to look at. I do pay attention to the crochet being sold, as I love the old doilies and threadwork, and I'm always interested to see what old throws and blankets are made of, and what they sell for. We went to one about an hour away from our house, and as I was browsing I spotted a throw that looked awfully familiar in one of the booth cubbies. It was made in the Ocean Tranquility pattern, and had a border of d...
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Ouch

Say hello -- and goodbye -- to my trusty HP Laser 1320 PCL 5 printer. I spent over $800.00 on it back in the early years of my career. It finally blew up this week, which made me very sad. It has been the most dependable, reliable, long-lasting printer I have ever owned. Since it is 19 years old and I've been using it weekly (sometimes daily) since 2007 I think I got my money's worth out of it. Most laser printers only last between three to seven years according to Google. Say hello to my new HP Laserjet printer. I got it on sale for $259.00 (which is $120.00 off) so it was cheaper, sort of. It prints nicely, although it only has one paper tray and it's a bit slower than the old printer. Still, it will serve my needs. Here's the toner cartridge for it, which was $151.49, which is roughly double what cartridges for my old printer cost. That really hurt. Did I want to spend $439.22 this month on a printer and toner? Nope. Outside of medical bills, I...
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Cookbook Heaven

When I spotted this pile of fourteen cookbooks at the online auction I saw three about grilling that I wanted, and put in a low bid. I figured I wouldn't win the lot -- only I did. Nearly all of them are titles that appeal to me, and I think I can learn a lot from them. Well, not so much from the Keto cookbook, but the rest, sure. :) The cookbooks are in very nice condition, and would probably bring in at least $70.00 resale; I got the lot for $9.99, or about seventy-one cents per book. Hopefully we can find some new recipes to inspire our summer cooking.
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Awareness June

Last month I went over budget in almost every category, mainly because I was upset and not paying much attention to my spending. It seemed more important to get back my equilibrium and be happy, and I don't regret parting with a little extra cash to do so. I am an emotional creator, and my emotions tend to get out of hand when things go toxic for me. I am easily frightened and I know that intellectually, but what I tell myself in my head seldom migrates to my heart. I have triggers and I imagine I always will. Everyone does. Mine just happen to take a lot of work to quiet down. Anyway, I'm over the trauma, and I've taken steps to protect myself. It's time to get back on track. I already know that I am not suited to having no-spend months, mainly because it's almost impossible to resist temptation when I try. Then there is non-negotiable necessary spending (medicines, reference materials and other things I need for the day job, etc.) which I'll disc...
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Just For Me

The other morning I was preparing to drink my second cup of coffee when I realized I was tired of drinking out of a plastic tumbler. I have about a dozen of them, all Starbucks, all red, all thrifted. Yes, it's safer if I happen to drop it (and I drop lots of stuff these days, thank you arthritis) but the color red always makes me nervous. Red equals emergency, blood, and crisis in my head. I didn't think about any of that when I thrifted them; I just wanted something cheap and convenient. Cheap and convenient is nice, easy, and preferable, but not always when it comes to mood. Part of me is tired of settling for what's easy and sacrificing my mood (and my happiness!) in the process. I want inspiration. I want to be surrounded by beauty and whimsy and things that delight me. I really, really want to smile in the mornings. So I ditched the plastic tumbler, took out my favorite Halloween ceramic mug and had my second cup of coffee in that. I don't care that ...
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