Project Runway

Did you know they recently started a new season of Project Runway??

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??? As you know, I watch a lot of television -- and I never even saw a commercial for the new season.

The only reason I knew it happened was because my DVR was scheduled to tape all new episodes -- so it turned up on my list of recorded shows.

Of course, I was delighted, and I sat down, made a pot of coffee -- and watched Tim Gunn "On the way to the Runway" (introduction of the new designers).  AND the first episode.

Now I am confused....and disappointed.

For years now, Project Runway has gone bonkers with their product placement. I get that -- and mostly, it doesn't bother me. I understand that they sew on Brother sewing machines -- and there will be bigtime mention, because they are a sponsor. And the revolving "Accessory Wall" is such a joke.  They've had more sponsors on that wall than Murphy Brown had secretaries....THAT could be it's own television reality show...how many can you name?  Banana Republic, Macy's, Bluefly, Piperlime, Lord and Taylor, Belk...this year it's ALDO.  (isn't that a dog food?  No, that's ALPO...sorry)...

But then, it's the RANDOM sponsors that annoy the hell out of me. It's crazy...they have to mention the bottled water they drink...and those placements are so forced and odd. Remember the yogurt challenge?? Well, this year, Samsung gave them a refrigerator for the break room...so apparently, there will be a lot more scenes shot THERE as opposed to in the actual sewing room. And I am preparing myself for the challenge week when they have to go INTO the beautiful Samsung refrigerator and try to create a garment with bologna, carrots and milk cartons...

Mostly, I hated who the judges picked as the winner....I thought Heidi bullied the other judges into seeing this dress her way...and I just didn't get it.

Old kitchen curtain fabric -- raveled at the edges -- with those very odd torn sleeve caps...WHA?

Because it's not like they didn't have some great choices....there were many other outfits that I would have placed in front of that mess...

THIS would have been my pick as the winner of this weeks' challenge...

As always, I will continue to tune in on Thursday nights. But I feel like I'm the only person STILL WATCHING Project Runway. If Laura Mendoza and Connie Tkach are not watching, I think this could be the last season...

Freezer Pops Suck

There are all kinds of "recipes" on the internet for Freezer Pops. It seemed like a fun project to do with Lillian...We started off with the yogurt pops...

Using the food processor, Lilly dumped in one container of yogurt, one banana, and 2 tsp. of jello...

You can see the food processor bowl on the table -- and Lilly is trying to get the individual pops out of their holder...

She carefully poured in the colorful yogurt mixture...

Our second batch was pudding pops...

We mixed up the pudding according to package directions

To be a fancy, we tried to poke in some mini marshmallows...

.

Then, we put the tops on.....

Stuck them in the freezer...and WAITED

The actual pops needed an overnight in the freezer...But the best thing about this kind of form is that the pops are INDIVIDUAL...and you can get them out one at a time...

This kind of pop form is the WORST. You need to thaw them all at one time...

Dipping them in warm water didn't work...

So -- here is my assessment: The banana/yogurt/jello pops had great flavor -- but the forms made a HUGE pop that Lilly couldn't eat before it melted down.

The pudding pops tasted okay, but the forms were a pain.  Having to get all four pops out at one time was problematic...then what do you do?  Plastic wrap?  They were all wet and got icy...ugh...

The freezer pop forms sucked.  Really.  It was hard to pour the thick fillings into the forms, and they froze with air bubbles inside, then were impossible to thaw out enough to eat...and at the end, were too large for a child size serving. 

We will be making yogurt and pudding freezer treats again...but I threw the plastic forms in the trash.

There is a MUCH EASIER WAY, PEOPLE...

2014 PORCH PARTY

Last Tuesday -- the day I'm having my PORCH SOFA REVEAL PARTY was the hottest day of the summer. With temperatures expected to hit 100 degrees -- we started the party with breakfast inside my air conditioned house.

My guests were my usual Tuesday morning clubbers -- the two Lindas and Sandy.  I'd also invited a few extra guests for the big occasion. My sister Ronda and cousin Kim. The menu was: fritatta with fresh pesto, popovers, and watermelon.

We got RIGHT TO THE EATING portion of the party -- and I forgot to take pictures of the food. Oh well. Who hasn't seen enough pictures of food -- right??

Kim and I on the old porch chairs -- showing off the NEW little coffee table...he is so cute..(yes, it's the cement money with her baby...I LOVE IT).

Even with the heat, there was good shade and a nice breeze.  We were surprised it was so tolerable, and moved out to the porch to take some pictures and eat dessert...

The fabulous foot stool deserves a post of it's own. (not to worry -- that's coming)...

The girls set it up many different ways so I could take pictures...then I insisted they all sit on it...

Here, Sandy, Linda and Ronda are following my orders ("put your feet up on the stool")....

WHAT A GREAT PARTY. It was wonderful to have my friends out to inaugurate the new porch configuration. It was only fair that they be the first ones to sit on the restyled sofa. God knows they've heard about it every week for months....

We did what we always do. We ate, we talked...we laughed...then we repeated those three activities. For hours.

We discussed our lives...we had a sew and tell....a special dessert from the Pioneer Woman....then more laughing. Well -- what can I say? By 1:30, we were all hungry again -- so I dished up the leftovers for a little lunch -- and it was 2:00 before the party was over.

YES, I DO KNOW HOW LUCKY I AM...

Porch Sofa REVEAL

The SMARTEST decision I made at the beginning of this sofa project was to PAINT the ugly flowered sofa fabric instead of trying to re-upholster it. OMG...

THIS WAS SO EASY. And the result was sooo good. Beyond my wildest expectations. Two coats of plain old blue flat interior wall paint turned the crappy fabric into a washable canvas. Linda B. asked me if the fabric felt rough...and after two coats, it seems very sturdy and washable to me.  I was DELIGHTED with the way it turned out...

Hey -- this sofa is probably 30 years old -- and it sits very soft...so I added this board (which I conveniently found in my basement -- big surprise...)

This would be one configuration for the big cushions...

And, they each have a small cushion companion...right?

But then, I'd probably never set it up that way...

I love the patchwork side of the small cushions...

And the possibilities do seem endless...

A few throw pillows -- and I'm ready for a nap!!

Tomorrow -- you'll see who came to my PORCH PARTY -- for the BIG REVEAL...

Lessons from my Uncle

If this blog was all you knew about me -- my life must sound like a picnic.  Of course, I have the same ups and downs everybody else has.  I just don't WRITE about them.

Which is why I took the blog break.  It really was about that old credo, "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all..."  At the time, so many people round me were dealing with such big issues -- my little blog writing just didn't seem to matter...

Thanks again for the emails and letters during my blog break. I appreciate your efforts to cheer me up -- and you did.  I want you to know I'm fine.  My family is fine.  We are a lucky, grateful bunch here in our Iowa cornfield...

********
My Uncle Melvin was 83 years old.  He lived a wonderful life, and he was ready to let go.  Organized religion was not part of his life. So, when it was time to plan his actual funeral, many options seemed unsuitable. His wife, Kathy, decided to let the family do the service. I was honored when she asked me to speak.

I wrote it so Ross could read it if I was too emotional.  As I worked on what I would say -- I had to start way back, when I was 7 years old.  I simply talked about who he was to me and my family.  I won't bore you with the whole thing (it was long..)

But I do want to share the last few paragraphs....

****************
Here some things I learned from Uncle Melvin about how to have a happy life. He never had many rules -- so I am calling them lessons:

• NEVER lie or cheat. It will ALWAYS bite you in the ass…
• PARTICIPATE: Attend every celebration, and always accept a dinner invitation. (Especially if it comes from my sister Deena)
• TRAVEL wherever you can, whenever you can. It will give you a sense of wonder…
• FRIENDS matter.  You have to be a friend to have one and good ones will last a lifetime. (and you never know when you might need one of them to build a ramp up to your front door…)
• WORK hard and take pride in what you do. Work gives your life a rhythm and a purpose.
• LAUGH whenever possible. If you do a prank right -- they’ll be talking about it for 50 years…(Uncle Melvin hated foreign cars. 30 years ago, his neighbor bought a Toyota Corolla and he loved bragging about the great gas mileage. Uncle Melvin started to sneak over at night and put gas in the Toyota's tank…one week, 25 mpg, the next week, 35 mpg, eventually an amazing 63 mpg…the guy was bragging ALL OVER TOWN.  Then -- Uncle Melvin stopped adding gas…and started to siphon it out instead…)
• HAVE HOBBIES. Do something with your hands. Ideally, you will make something, then give it away as a gift…
• BE KIND. Build people up whenever you can, and never tear them down. People will always remember the way you made them feel. Uncle Melvin always made me feel like I was the most important person in the room…
• SHARE your life with somebody you love. That's what makes it matter...

GOOD MORNING, KATHY KEEFER!!

One of my oldest friends is Kathy Keefer. We met WAY BACK in 1973, when John and I moved from Washington, D.C. to Pennsylvania. We bought a cape cod house outside of Pine Grove. It had a small acreage, a beautiful little pond, and the best neighbors in the world -- Kathy and Denny Keefer.

This is a picture of Denny and Kathy -- on their porch. We spent countless hours on their porch...visiting, laughing, playing cards.  THEY are the reason we have a porch on our house!

I remember -- 40 years ago -- when Denny remodeled this kitchen and hung these cabinets!!

Kathy deserved a great kitchen because she is the BEST COOK I KNOW -- and she is famous for her shoo-fly pies!!

About ten years ago -- Ross got a job in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It was a big move across the country, he didn't have very much money, and he didn't know anything about this new city. I suggested he stay with Kathy and Denny while he looked for a place. Their house would be a 45-minute drive to his job. He said, "Mom, I don't know them that well."

But, at the end of the day, he had no place to park his U-Haul, and Kathy insisted...so he agreed to "stay with them" for a few days while he tried to figure things out. Ross pulled into their driveway, Kathy and Denny welcomed him with open arms -- Ross started his new job, and on the second day, Denny and his boys unpacked Ross's U-Haul (when he was at work) -- and told him to take his time to finding an apartment...

For the next two years, KATHY KEEFER made Ross's birthday cake -- chocolate cake with peanut butter icing...

Ross loved, loved, loved the Keefers. Just like I knew he would.  He felt right at home there -- and he adored the Keefer boys. Kathy took great care of him. Just like I knew she would. During his time in Pennsylvania, he ate every holiday meal with them. Kathy's boys still say she "only really cooks when Ross is coming"

During his next six years in Minnesota, Ross often made Kathy's Shoo fly pie, and I always make Kathy Keefer's coleslaw...

Last week, I was shocked when "Kathy Keefer" made a comment on this blog. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I told Ross -- KATHY KEEFER IS ONLINE...As it turns out, she has a new I-Pad, and is learning how to use it. This blog is one of the first things she stumbled across...and this blog post will be a big surprise.

Welcome to the internet, Kathy!!  You are going to love the recipes that live here.  Thanks for finding my blog.  AND THANKS for being a Mom to Ross when he didn't even know he needed one.  Mostly -- THANKS FOR ALWAYS BEING A WONDERFUL FRIEND TO ME...you have NEVER let me down...

Lilly's New Shelf

Bert and I were at one of our typical estate sales -- and this pitiful shelf was sitting outside. It was the last day -- and the shelf was $4...What it had going for it was the size...it was tall, but only about 12" deep...and it was sooo lightweight.This could be exactly what Lilly needs in her room -- to help her organize her clothes....

It's biggest problem was that it was rusty...

And, where a door used to be -- the hinges were missing, which left some sharp edges...

But I loved the possibilities.  So, Lilly and I washed it down, sanded the rust -- and I spray painted it black...(mostly)

A few days later, Linda came out and Lilly brush painted one side with blue paint...

While Linda put some decorative duct tape on all the edges...

There are SO MANY EXCITING patterns of duct tape!  Lilly picked a print from Monster High...

For safety, Linda wrapped the old hinge areas with an extra layer of tape...

BRILLIANT, I TELL YOU....THIS SHELF IS BRILLIANT...

Porch Sofa -- LARGE cushions

After sewing the three small cushions for the porch sofa -- I was kinda burned out.

And, too -- it's summertime, I'm doing a lot of things with Lilly and Warren, and moving on to the three BIG cushions seemed like a really big job.

So, there was a fair bit of procrastination going on. THEN I had two funerals in one week...and it was time for me to GET BACK TO THE SOFA.

That's how it works for me.  When I am happy, I sew.  When I am sad, I sew.  As it turns out -- it can be serger dishrags -- or it can be a porch sofa....that's how I roll...

However -- I was running low on fabric. So, when I started on the three big cushions, I laid out little bits of fabric to plan the design before I actually cut anything. There were three main fabrics, so I decided the best solution would be to do two sides yellow, two sides squiggle dot, and two sides big circles...This would give me the MOST OPTIONS -- right??

Cushion #1 has a yellow side --

The other side of Cushion #1 is the big circles fabric...get it??

Cushion #2 has one side of squiggly dots -- except I didn't have enough fabric...

So, I did the best I could to match the pattern to add the 2" I needed...

Cushion #3 would have had one side of squiggle dots...but I only had a small piece left...so I did a patchwork design...

The biggest lesson of sewing these cushions was that I made the pattern first -- then went SLOW...fitting each cushion as I went.  Here's the general order of things...

1. First, I did the zipper/cheat...ironing the zebra fabric on top of the old flower fabric. 
2. Then I made a pattern and cut out the top piece. 
3. I marked the center point on all four sides, and basted the top to the zebra side panel, right sides together. 
4. At that point, the "fitting"on the cushion was critical. It is always better to start a little too big, then snug it up...or trim it down as required. (ask me how I know this)
5. Each seam was sewn three times. First, a basting stitch (so I could do the fitting) -- the second round was with my serger to clean up the edges. And, finally, I did a three step straight stitch to make it as strong as possible...

Then, to do the flip side, repeat steps 3-5. This is the point where you will really be glad you marked the center point on all four sides...

NEXT MONDAY -- I will do the official "REVEAL". Finally -- it all came together....

And we really did have a HELLUVA PORCH PARTY...!!

The OLD Porch Glider

This summer has been the story of my own, personal slow stitching project (Mark Lipinski would be so proud!). I've spent two months remodeling and restyling my Salvation Army porch sofa.

 I cannot remember the last time I tackled such a big job.

There was buying and then HAULING the new sofa to my house...then, loading up an again HAULING the old glider back to the same thrift store...

I loved the way the porch looked in 2009. I made new slipcovers for the aluminum glider set from the 50's (these are old fashioned cushions with metal springs)...

A week after taking the glider to the Salvation Army -- it was the new favorite break spot for employees. I drove by three times before I could get this picture...(with nobody sitting there, smoking)

As a part of the porch project, I am also rethinking the tables....

And after three years of sitting outside, totally ignored and useless...this cement sculpture may finally find a home on the porch...

THE PORCH LOOKS STUNNING....I AM SO PROUD OF ME...all the work I did, all the mistakes I made, all the patience it required...then, actually letting GO of so many things I used to treasure...

This is Tuesday, July 22,  and I have invited my book clubbers to come for breakfast on the porch for the actual UNVEILING. 

Carrie came yesterday and, as always, cleaned the house and helped me finish up the final details on the porch.   She moved the table, put the zebra rug in place...and, well....honestly...it's the best work I've ever done. 

AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW YOU...

Summer Concerts

Bettendorf, Iowa is a beautiful little city that sits on the bank of the Mississippi River. It has excellent public schools and an amazing library. Also, a world class Children's Museum and a fair-to-middling Goodwill store.

My Tuesday morning breakfast is in Bettendorf every week because the other three members live there. They are plugged in to the benefits of their little city...the bike paths, literary events, and -- best of all -- THE FREE SUMMER CONCERTS...

This summer, because I have both Lilly and Warren for an overnight on Thursday nights -- I started taking them to the outdoor concert at Faye's Field -- adjacent to the library

I spread out a blanket for Warren...Linda is playing with him here...

On this night, Lilly fell on the sidewalk and badly skinned her knee...

Sandy was very sympathetic...and I was enjoying the tag-team Grandma action...

Warren is ALWAYS looking for some attention from the men...I told Karl and Gary they should take turns chasing him...

The first week, he actually stayed on the blanket. But the next week, he scooted to many different groups...eating their food, giving strangers little gifts he picked up along the way...Cheetos, dog biscuits...

These weekly concerts are free, they only last an hour, and I am ALWAYS glad when I make the effort to go.

So I can be "spontaneous" -- I have a blanket in my trunk at all times -- along with an old folding hair for me, an umbrella stroller for Warren and a bag of activities for Lilly.

Some people bring snacks or games...Lilly has made two new friends. She is not all that interested in the music...but she LOVES going to the concerts and finding another little girl her age who might enjoy a game of Crazy Eights.

The people running your nearby small town are probably doing the same thing...and YOU SHOULD GO.  Be supportive.  Get lost in the music.  Take a child, or your neighbor or your aunt....pick up your Uncle from assisted living....

YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY...