Pink Camouflage Wristlets

I have a dear friend who loves pink camouflage.  Seriously loves it.  For Christmas, I surprised her with a tote bag  (which I forgot to photograph) out of pink camouflage and, as anticipated, she loved it.  Really, really loved it. 

Pink camo - who knew??

Now, personally, I'm not a huge fan of pink camo (really, of any camo);  I don't understand it.  Are you hiding in the Barbie aisle at Toys R Us?  I just don't get it.  Still, it was a labor of love and she truly loved her Christmas present, which was my goal, after all.  I decided to use the leftover fabric to surprise her with another gift and I ended up having enough fabric to make a little something for her daughter (another fan of pink camo), too. 

Mother - Daughter gifts...

(I always by extra fabric when I'm making something specific...I'm terrified to run out of fabric.)  Anyway, it turned out that I had just enough fabric to make two of Dog Under My Desk's "The Essential Wristlet". 

Spiral bound from my local copy shop.  Lays flat for me to flip
through the instructions as I sew along, one step at a time.

If you haven't discovered Erin's patterns, you're in for a treat.  Her instructions are so detailed, and her photos so clear, you just can't go wrong.  Since I've been making her stuff, my skills and my confidence have increased tremendously.  Plus, I love that her  "thing" is that she loathes exposed unfinished seams, so you always have a nice, polished result when you make her patterns.

Pocket detail on the inside of each.

So, back to my project.  Two Essential Wristlets with boxed corners.  I also decided to embroider each woman's name on them, for a little added touch. 

Awesome pattern nets awesome results!

I think they turned out really well.  The wrist strap is detachable and the bag measures 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches, so its a really nice size.  I think my friend and her daughter will be pleased.  Best of all, no more pink camo in my fabric stash...it has all found its rightful home.

 

 

 

You know you have a good life when...

...you realize that you are fortunate enough to catch 99.9% of the pens that go through your washer BEFORE they end up in the dryer.  (We just won't talk about those sneaky lip balms.)

...and a 9-year old girl invites herself to your house to color with you (and she's not even related to you!!)...


Yes, my life is pretty good.

No Plastic Cups or How to Label Your Drinking Glasses

We have the same core group of friends for dinner with some regularity.   It is so fun to have people who feel like extended family in your life and I love hosting everyone at our house.  After a few years, we've all gotten it down to a science and, while each of us does it a little differently, it always ends up being fun.  One of my quirks?  I don't like using paper plates,  paper napkins, plastic utensils or plastic cups when I can avoid it.  Paper plates and plastic utensils were easy to eliminate...just making sure the dishwasher is empty and the cupboards full before our friends arrive took care of those.  Since we've been using cloth napkins for the past 8+ years, I have plenty of those, too.  

  
We have plenty of glasses, but since they're all the same, I end up with every cup from my cupboard on the kitchen counter and people still looking for a drinking glass.  I had to come up with a way to label my everyday drinking glasses.

A few scrapbooking tags, some string, a Sharpie, and some of Buttercup's ponytail holders and I think I came up with something clever.

They worked so well...the elastic band stayed put and the tags didn't get in the way.  At the end of the evening, we just slipped them off the glass and loaded the dishwasher.

The best part?  I can reuse them!

Friends and dishes...

Do you remember when you were younger...high school and just beyond?  Friends were people you went dancing with, went shopping with, talked about boys with.  Years go by and you grow up.  Your needs and wants change.  You don't go dancing and shopping is more likely be about heading to Home Depot than heading to Nordstrom.

Friends still find a way to warm your heart though.  It makes you feel special to know they're there, even if they are just as busy as you are.

Remember this picture and my incredulous post about my latest phosphate-free dishwasher experience?  I seriously wondered if I'd be forever more hand-washing my dishes.  I was obviously forgetting about my friends.

One friend emailed and offered to share her contraband dishwasher powder, even going so far as to being willing to be my dealer.  How sweet was that?  She skirts the law and I reap the benefits...now that  is friendship!

Another friend emailed and offered to ship the "good stuff" directly to me from Texas.  Wasn't that wonderful?  Another friend willing to be a black-market dealer...can you ask for more?

Another friend was quick to email me with what worked in her mom's house (said house is in our water district, so it matters).  I was just so touched.  (Oh, and I'm envious that it works in her mom's house, because that combo didn't work in mine.  I hope her mom a) knows how wonderful her daughter is and b) knows how lucky she is to have clean dishes!)

And yet another friend handed me two samples of the product that works in her house.   It was like a drug deal that was free (and legal).  I slipped the "package" in my pocket and went about my business.  I was feeling the love, I tell you!  Anyway, I went home and tried the Finish Powerball as soon as we got a half a load full of dishes.  (Seriously, I figured when I rewashed them, I'd only have to wash half a dishwasher full.  Can you tell I had low expectations?)

Imagine my surprise when I opened the dishwasher and pulled out clean dishes, clear glasses, and sparkly silverware.  Not to get giddy, but I still wasn't convinced.  Nope, I filled the dishwasher completely and put the second sample to the test.  It worked.  Seriously worked! 

I don't know if it was the blue layer, the white layer, or the cute little red ball in the center, but it worked.  Woot!  What a win!  Not only did I get to be surrounded by the warmth of friendship, but my dishes are clean.  But don't take my word for it, judge for yourself.

Yippee! Aren't they bright and clear?  As you can see, I will not be driven to life on the lamb.  No life of crime will be necessary.  No exorbitant shipping costs will be incurred and no friends will be inconvenienced by my dishwasher dilemma.   Shiny clean dishes and good friends.  Does life get any better than this?