Hubert

Think you're having a bad day? I bet is isn't as bad as Hubert's.

All because of a can of soup....

In December my washer quit. The matching dryer was miffed because it had attempted to quit 3 or 4 times without being allowed to retire, thanks to my husband being handy. The repairs for the washer would have been costly, probably too costly for an 11 year old appliance. My parents would shake their heads at this if they were alive today. Eleven was mid-life for most of their appliances back in the day.

The cost of the new washer and dryer made us gasp a bit but I'm happy with our selection. We don't have a separate laundry room or a basement. The washer and dryer are at the back end of my kitchen. Sounds odd to many I suppose, but it works for us. The cabinets over the washer and dryer match those in the main part of the kitchen and contain boxed and canned foods along with baking supplies.

The new appliances are a little deeper (back to front measure) and taller than the old pair. That makes reaching into the cabinets on that wall a little more difficult. Two weeks ago I was reaching for a can of soup on the second shelf over the dryer. A can fell out. Luckily it didn't dent the dryer top, but while replacing that can, another one jumped off and landed on the washer. You probably wouldn't notice the small dent but I know it is there.

That led to two projects. One was rearranging the three pair of cabinets so that the heaviest items, canned goods, were moved to shelves over the laundry tub. The tub is in a cabinet the depth of the old appliances which means I can still reach most things without using a step stool. The second project was making a cover, sort of place mat, for the washer and dryer.

I bought reversible quilted fabric, bound the raw edges with quilt binding and turned over one long edge to make a pocket to fit over the control panels. The panels slope into the tops of the washer and dryer making me doubt a flat mat of the side I wanted would stay put. Here is the result of a few minutes of sewing:

We have a former bi-fold door that is used on top of the washer and dryer when we have parties. It is covered with something festive, such as a holiday themed tablecloth, and it becomes the bar area or part of a buffet setting. An old sheet was always used between the appliances and door but now this will be in place.

I have more of this fabric which will become place mats and possible a cover for my stand mixer. Blue and yellow are the dominant colors in most of my house. Having the same fabric on the table will tie all this together.

I'd be happier if a dent hadn't occurred, but I am pleased to have turned this into a positive. Onward and upward!

Snow Shovel Shoes!

Fear not, fellow residents of snowy cities! Look what I found on the internet today!

 

Worried that gray won't go with your favorite parka? Pick another color as you make these for yourself with these directions .

 



Stay warm. Stay sane. I'm not sure I'm either right now.

Still scrappin' and snowin'

SS, DD.  That could be the common acronym for Same "stuff", Different Day or it could be Still Scrappin', Don't Disturb.

Nothing for show and tell here since everything I've been working on is family stuff and in the world of scrapbooking, not very creative. No offense to those who place one or two photos per page with wonderful graphic design, but that isn't me at this point. I love the look that many scrapbook stores and blogs share, but I have too many photos that I want to use per album so mine are more old school with a few flourishes and some captions below photos rather than much journaling.

I've put that aside to work on some sewing today. Before I get to that I thought I'd check in to Blogland and add this photo comment (snatched from Facebook) about life here in the mitten state:

 

 

Cold, crazy and coupons

Rabbit! Rabbit! (said for good luck on the first of the month)

 

 

If the rabbits are white though, they won't be visible here in SE Michigan as we have snow. Again. Still. Whatever. Pardon the language but this bluebird sums up what many northerners are feeling.

 

 

I'm not quite that crabby. At least the temps are now positive numbers in double digits. Being cold does make me a little crazy and so do coupons. Impending frigid weather or deep snow does have me planning trips to the grocery and craft stores differently than when driving conditions aren't an issue. Grocery shopping can be frustrating enough anytime but trying to get a full cart to your car through slush, over frozen ruts and around piles of plowed snow making the lots smaller makes hibernating sound like a great idea. Eat a lot to tide you over and sleep for a few months!

 

Do you clip or scan coupons for grocery shopping? When the boys were little I had a box that went to the store with me that was full of organized coupons. Now that it is just the two of us at home, I seldom remember to take the few coupons with me that might get used. We don't get a newspaper now and magazines don't have many coupons in them now. I know there are online sources for coupons but we don't tend use most of the products they're offering.

 

Coupons for Joann's is another story. I went yesterday with a coupon good for 60% off one cut of regularly priced fabric. Everything I looked at was 40% so the coupon was no good to me. A woman my age was muttering out loud and looked up sheepishly when she realized I was behind her. She was complaining about the coupons too. We are old enough to remember when Joann's and Michael's would calculate the coupon discount off of the regular full price which was better than the store's mark down. The product specific coupons seem to just be a way to lure you in. As if I'm not there often enough as is.

 

I got the supplies that I needed and am ready to be stay inside the next few days if the weather forecast is correct. I'm still working on family photo albums/scrapbooks so there isn't much to share here. As I wrap this up, February might be the month to get a bunch of sewing projects done.

 

Wish me luck and send warmth!