Project 365 Day 48

This is what I have always thought Arizona would look like. I could almost see the stagecoach and the band of Indians riding off in the distance.

Budget Report, Week 3 Cash Monday

This week we did a little better. We went out to breakfast at Cracker Barrel twice, went to lunch at a Chinese place once, bought a boatload of groceries (but it was SUCH a good SALE!). We filled the truck with fuel, and drove about 250 miles over to the Superstition Mountains on an all day sightseeing trip, where we paid for a guided tour of a gold mine, snacks and lunch at a ghost town (more on that later).


This morning we did the count, and have $28.52 left of our $300. So, this makes us at the end of week three, under budget by $25.95. So far, so good. And we're not sitting here bored to tears, either.

Project 365 Day 47 Aprons Again

I'm still at it making aprons for Christmas. I LOVE how this one turned out.

Project 365 Day 46 Boots

We drove over to the Superstition Mountains today. We stopped at the museum there and there was a cowboy dude there who had these kick ass boots on display.

Online Sewing Lesson #2 Bias Tape

This is the second online sewing lesson for my daughters:


Bias tape is just strips of fabric cut on the bias and folded. You can buy single fold bias tape and double fold bias tape. I like the double fold for most of my projects. It also comes in different widths. The size you buy will depend on the project you are making. For the aprons I have been working on, I bought extra wide.

You can also make your own bias tape. Basically, you just cut strips of fabric the width you need on the bias, or diagonally, of your fabric. Then, you fold it in half, then fold each side in half again towards the middle of the strip. You are then ready to attach it to the project. It is normally used to make a finished edge on the project. It works well for this because it has a lot of "give" and helps you go around corners and curves easily.

To attach the bias tape, open it out like this:



Sandwich the fabric of the project you are working on in the middle, like this:



You may have a project that has several layers of fabric, such as a quilt. I used bias tape that I made myself on this one, and sewed it on with a needle and thread:


Or, you may have only one layer, as in an apron, a skirt, or a blouse. I used purchased bias tape on this one, and sewed it on using the sewing machine:



Sometimes you might want to sew one edge on using the sewing machine, and then sew the second edge on using a needle and thread to make a "blind stitch", or one that does not show on the outside of the garment or project. It just depends on the project.

Project 365 Day 45 Bias Tape

Bias tape comes in lots of colors. I have this crap coming out my ears this week.

Apron Strings

Have you ever read my "about me" thingy over in the right hand bar on my blog? Where it says I like to sew and quilt? Well, I do, and I love to make aprons. Mostly because I love to wear aprons.


When I used to work at a "real" job (you know, in an office, for a corporation) I used to wear really nice clothes to work. I loved nice blouses, and dresses. After work every day, I had to come home and make dinner. In order to keep those nice blouses and dresses looking nice, I started wearing aprons over them.

The problem with that, back in the late 70's and thru the late 80's, was that you could not find a decent apron. They all looked like Aunt Bea from the Andy Griffith Show. The ones I could find to buy were either hideously tacky, or really flimsy material, so I decided to make my own.

I have made and worn, and made and sold, hundreds of aprons over the years. When I make them, I don't skimp on fabric, because if an apron doesn't have enough fabric to cover your clothing, what is the point of wearing it?

This week I am making aprons. My friend Lynda told me that if I had any Christmas-y crafts to sell at the Christmas tree lot that I could, so I am making some Christmas aprons. But, the ones I made today are everyday aprons.

This one is cotton, green and white checks with a pink flower print. I used a light pink bias tape for the edge of the skirt. It is really cute:




It has a bib that fits over your head, and a long sash that ties in a bow:



It is big enough to cover a big grandma sized girl, and has two great big pockets on the front:



This one is black and white checks with sunflowers, and has yellow bias tape for the edging:





I couldn't get FabGrandpa away from his computer game long enough to take a pic of me wearing it, but trust me, it is BIG too. It has three pockets across the front, and goes down to my knees.

I am selling these at the tree lot, but if they don't sell, I am going to put them on Etsy. If you're interested in maybe purchasing one, let me know. If you want one, I have the two pictured for sale right now. They are $30 each and that includes shipping to you ( I can take paypal payments. I'll be putting more on here as they are made. Thanks for your interest.

Project 365 Day 44 Cactus

I love cactus. This one is a nice shade of purple red. It was in the landscaping at the gas station.

Take A Minute To Look Around You

One of my blog friends posted this:

Click here please

If you are in Florida or on the east coast, take a minute to read it. If you happen to see her brother, let her know. I don't know them but I know how I would feel if someone I knew was missing. Thanks for the minute.

Project 365 Day 43

Locked Out! Closed for the season! Dang it.

Montezuma's Castle

On Sunday we drove the 75 miles up to Montezuma's Castle. It was named after Montezuma, but he never lived there. It was not even the Aztec's who built it. The Sinagua Indians were the ones who built this primitive condo back in the early 1400's. They built on rooms and floors for nearly 300 years, to accomodate their growing tribe. It is an amazing thing to see, knowing that they had to climb ladders up the cliffs, hauling water, stone, and dirt to build their house.



The ladders to reach the house, and the support beams for the ceilings and floors, were made from the branches and trunks of these beautiful Arizona Sycamore trees. The trees get huge, and have the most amazing bark I have ever seen.



After living in the area for more than 300 years, the Sinagua's abruptly disappeared from the area. They left no trace of where they went, or why they went. But from looking around at the area, we knew why they chose this area. The alcove in the cliff offered protection from the weather and attack from other tribes. The Beaver Creek offered a water source, and the flat level land at the bottom of the cliffs was excellent for agriculture, where there is evidence that the Sinaguans grew corn, beans, squash, and cotton.



There was more than one pueblo. This one was actually larger than the first one pictured, but it was closer to the bottom of the cliff. It is also not as well preserved as the other one, but you can clearly see the outlines of different rooms here.



yeah, I am in love with the Arizona Sycamore trees. They are just too cool. Did I already say that?



This clump of trees are some of the smaller ones. You can tell how large they are here. FabGrandpa is almost six feet tall. So yeah, they are pretty big trees.


About 6 miles away is Montezuma's Well. Montezuma's Well is a sinkhole, a collapsed underground limestone cavern filled with water. More than a million gallons of water a day flow continuously, providing a lush, verdant oasis in the midst of surrounding desert grassland. Montezuma's Well is 368 feet across and 55 feet deep; it sits at an elevation of 3,618 feet.



Lots of ducks were down there on the lake. It also has leeches in it. Ick. But it is a beautiful oasis in the middle of arid desert land.


This is the creek formed by water that flows out of the sinkhole. It was lush, beautiful, and very cool . We had to hike down a rock walkway to get down there.


This is maidenhair ferns growing out of the rock by the edge of the water.



Another view of the stream, showing the huge rocks, the trees, and the ferns. We heard lots of crickets and other insects chirping here.


I have no pictures from dinner, but we stopped at a place called "The Gathering" in Camp Verde. We all ordered the flank steak on the "elders" menu. We didn't have to be any particular age to qualify for the elders menu. It is just smaller portions and therefore a smaller price. The steak was good. I had a baked potato and grilled southwestern veggies with mine. FabGrandpa had "cactus rice" with his. It was rice with napalitos in it, which is chopped cactus. He enyoyed his but I just couldn't go there.

It was a very fun day, sightseeing with our friends. Next, we'll probably to to Saguaro National Monument. I can hardly wait!

Project 365 Day 42

Good times, fun, and friends--isn't that what it's all about?

Budget Report, Week 2 Cash Monday

I am really embarrassed to have to say that we went over budget this week. You would think that $300 would be plenty for two people, but it just didn't work out that way this week. It was the purchase of those hair products that put us over the top, but we needed them and they will last us for a couple of months, so there, I have justified my indiscretion on the money front.

We went out to breakfast three times, all at Cracker Barrel; out to lunch once at that Mexican grill place; and out to dinner once, last night on our way home from Montezuma Castle. (more about that trip coming soon)

So, the bottom line for this week: in the hole by $39.37. Since we were under budget last week by $36.80, that means for the two week period, we're in the hole by $2.57. I'll work harder at it this week. Sigh.

Project 365 Day 41 Arizona Sycamore

We drove up to Montezuma Castle today. There were these gorgeous Arizona Sycamore trees there, in full fall display of color. The trees have the most interesting bark I have ever seen. They were huge, looking like they were three hundred years old. I know, no amount of words can describe them to someone who has never seen them, so enjoy the picture instead.

Project 365 Day 40 Out And About Town

We finally did feel better today, so we drove up to visit our friends Lynda and Charlie but they were not at home. And since I got that letter from the passport agency telling me that my birth certificate and passport photo was not to their liking, I decided to look for a place to get my passport photo take again. Well, for the first time, since I took the first one. And yeah, they accepted the one I took of FabGrandpa and printed myself, because they sent him his passport card, so I guess they just decided that no one could look as good as the person in my photo and rejected it as too good to be true, hahahah!


Did you know that the portrait studio at Wal-Mart does passport photos? I should have known, you can get everything else you need there. So, for $10.82, here it is:



They even put it in a little card case. After I got the pictures, I thought, well, what a coincidence, I am wearing that same orange shirt that I wear everywhere I go, so when I cross the border, I will probably be wearing the same shirt. See here, and here.


We went to Circuit City to see what was on sale because they are going out of business. But, the TV's were not marked down much, and were still higher on a so called clearance sale than they were at Best Buy. We have been looking at the flat screen HDTV's for over a year, but have just not found one in the price range we wanted to pay that we could both agree on, until today. No, the money for it did not come out of our spending money budget, because we have budgeted money for a new TV. We got a Insignia HDTV 22":

Project 365 Day 39

Oh, yes I did! Someone take my temperature, quick!

Got Herbs?

I know I have told you that we have both been sick since we got to Phoenix, but this is getting to be really ridiculous. We got here October 29^th, so that it has been, what, more than two weeks that we have been grumpy, frumpy, whiney, snotty, and all the other seven dwarves combined. And quite frankly, I am sick to death of being sick. I want to go play, I want to have some fun, I want to be able to just sit down and read or play computer games without having to blow my dang nose every five minutes!!!

We have decided we must be allergic to Phoenix. We have lived in very rural areas for about two years now, first in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, then in north Georgia, and then at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Because it is so rural in those places, there is not much traffic, therefore, not much pollution. We have had no nasal/sinus/breathing problems, except when we were in Atlanta and now in Phoenix.

So, when we went out to breakfast at Cracker Barrel, we borrowed their yellow pages book, and called about a dozen health food stores and herb stores, looking for one that sells our favorite brand of herbs. No luck. No one here sells them, except for one store way down in Tempe about a hundred (or 35) miles away. Through a lot of traffic.

Then, we decided to go to Target, which is just a couple blocks down the road from Cracker Barrel, because FabGrandpa needed some new pajamas. Well, he wears those long flannel pants that tie at the waist, but he calls them his pajamas. After we found him some of those, we paid and started to leave, but then I saw a Salon Supply place. We needed some of that way expensive shampoo and conditioner that is the only one he will use, so I went in to see if they had some. Of course, they did, and whoo hooo! It was buy two get one free. So, for ONLY $49 I got one bottle of shampoo and two bottles of conditioner, which is good because I use the conditioner, too.

In the same shopping center, there was an herb shop called Hi-Health. We decided to go in to see if they had our brand of herbs. They did not. But they did have another brand that had the same combination we were looking for—Fenugreek and Thyme. The combination of Fenugreek and Thyme will dry up clogged nasal passages and get rid of sinus problems for us in just a few minutes. We got those and a bottle of Echinacea and Goldenseal. We have never used that particular combo, but it is supposed to clear up chest congestion.

We both took some in the truck before we left the parking lot. And, let me tell you, I feel better already. Maybe tomorrow we can go outside and play.

Project 365 Day 38 Sunset Time

I stepped outside for some fresh air, and was surprised by this beautiful end to the day. This picture does not begin to show how big the sky is, and how beautiful it was:



This was looking the other way, to the east. The sky was a vivid pink giving way to purple at the edges of the sky:

I am such a lucky girl.

Project 365 Day 37

OK, so I have a thing for lunch counters. This one is in a Mexican joint in Phoenix. I liked the counter better than I liked the food there, though.

Project 365 Day 36

Mmmmmm, porterhouse steak was on sale at Basha's, so it was steak, potatoes, and LeSeur peas for dinner. My favorite meal. (OH, and I found gluten free worchestershire sauce, whoo hoo!)

We don't get beef very often, so when we do, I like for it to be the very best.