July Garage Sale

Our community yard sale was earlier this month.  There are something like 200 homes/townhomes in our development, and the homeowner's association advertises for us, and puts a huge banner on our outside wall.  I prepared that Friday night, and rolled open the door at 7am Saturday, and by 7:30 had $60 profit!!!  The sale was not scheduled to start until 8am, but I knew better, being an East - coaster.  Start early, end early...out here, it was ridiculous!  I sat in the garage until 3:30pm, and was dragging!  It was worth it, though, as I made $235!!  Sweet Begonias!

Here are some pictures of the event: 

My awesome sign!

My set up.  Just had to open the garage door and move everything forward :)



So glad I made this!

Clock Table

Two years ago, I re-worked an existing small table top by painting it into a "Britto/Joanna"-styled masterpiece.  I believe it is the first piece of furniture I have painted.  Anyway, despite being varnished heavily and used lightly, I was annoyed to see that over time the paint had chipped in a few places, and it looked kind of dull.  I looked into getting a glass circle top to put on it, but I think the paint would stick to that, too.  So I repainted the whole thing, freshening up the colors.  Then I unscrewed it off the base, attached a ribbon to the back, and hung it on one of the living room walls.  I am very happy with the results!!

 

Now what to do with the table base?  It only took a few seconds to figure it out.....I screwed a clock to the top of the table!  I busted out the Black & Decker cordless drill and went at it - it only took a few minutes, and I think the results are also fabulous!!!  I have had the clock sitting around for a few months - it was broken, and we really didn't like how it ticked all the time - so annoying.  However, I still thought the look of the clock was cool, so I kept it in my ???? box. 
Now presenting.....The Clock Table:

Pi Phi Crafts - May 2012

Our last offical meeting was at the end of May.  We had a potluck dinner at a members home in the San Jose hills - gorgeous place with an amazing view.  Here are a few of the things I had made specifically for this!

View from front door.  The hills surround 360 degrees.

Book Ornaments: actually 3-D mini-books for the women who organize our 4th grade reading program.  They are about 3x4".

Wrapped present with handmade tags.



Earrings: made from cabochon beads glued to stud posts. Also added a Swarovski crystal to the middle of each flower & coated each bead with a diamond glaze.  FYI  - our sorority flower is the Wine Carnation.



Wrapped earrings.  Tags are slate with white paint pen.

The scroll attached to the sparkling wine includes 6 different Mimosa recipes.  Handwritten with stickers.

Oliver Kitty * April 25, 2012

We have been so lucky recently- Oliver has been visiting daily, sometimes twice a day!  He has his whole little routine over here, and just gets nothing but love from the two of us.  He's got a thing with toilet paper - batting it from the roller holders, jumping on it, biting it and eating it - totally weird but cute. 

He also likes our comforter, and naps there. Sometimes I lay there with him, and if I fall asleep, he wakes me up with his nose on mine and a couple of gentle head butts - I guess I am only there to watch him sleep! 

Here's a few pictures to enjoy!

 How sweet is that face??

 With Axel

Later - see you tomorrow!

Family Affair

We had the best treat last Sunday night - we got to see my cousin and his wife!  Billy and Angela came out to San Fransisco to see a concert (Steve Wilson) at The Filmore, and they also did a ton of sight-seeing:  Alcatraz, Muir Woods, Monterey and Carmel, and the usual city stuff.  Very impressive for a 5 day vacation!
On Sunday, we took a lovely drive up I-280 to the city, and met the Billy and Angela at a place called Santorini Cuisine - Greek, of course!  It was nice to spend some time with them, and we had a delicious dinner to compliment our conversation.  I wish we could all see each other more often!  I especially enjoyed Angela, and getting to know her more - total doll :) 

Busy weekend coming up - Saturday is our big sorority celebration of Founders' Day, and Greek Easter is on Sunday.  I am actually going to a butcher today to get a leg of lamb!  I have been a busy bee making all kinds of Pi Phi stuff, and am baking 40 cupcakes tomorrow - whew! 

Friday Nite Happy Hour

I cannot even recall the last time I went out for any Happy Hour?? 

There is a group within the Pi Phi club called the "Young Alums", or those who still go out to bars every weekend :)  I decided to check it out, so I was at Rosie McCann's - obviously a pub-type bar - at 5:30pm, and had some drinks and apps.  I had a good time, and do enjoy these girls.  Of course they are all nice, and have diverse careers, and they all laugh at my jokes, which always gets an A+.  I cruised out at 9:30, which my mother reminded me was the time I usually left to go out back in the day.  Thanks, Felicia :)

I am the OLDEST young alum by like 5 years....hilarious.  They did think I was in my early 30's, but only because I am so immature.  Sorry about my crazy eyes - I tried to fix them, but no go.  I just look Special (Ed).

Oh, the bar is in this crazy outdoor upscale mall place called Santana Row.  Here is the link if you want to check it out.  Santana Row

Pi Phi Baby Bank

This is a piggy bank I painted for one of my sorority sisters who just found out she is pregnant.  Our sorority colors are wine and silver blue, and our symbols are arrows, angels and carnations.

I think this turned out pretty cute - I had purchased a bunch of these small banks at the $1 store, and they are eaily painted with acrylic paints, and then I applied lots of varnish to make it shiny.

.....and HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!

New template

I felt the urge to change the color scheme of the blog today, so I did.  I can't believe how advanced this has gotten since I first started.  I remember printing out lines of code, and then trying to figure out how to get different colors in different places by inserting the proper color codes.  Most challenging.I would like to attach "tags" to the blog, to identify if it is a craft, story, birthday wishes, etc..  I'll check that out tomorrow :) 
I'm not sure if I am "feeling" this scheme yet, but it's the only one I went back to when looking at all the templates.
Later.

Dean's Big Gay Birdhouse

I did this back in June for Dean's birthday in July.  It's a birdhouse from Michael's that I painted and added personal stuff related to Dean. 

Baked Goods

Lovely pictures of some cupcakes I baked the other day!

Devil's Food cakes with Buttercream icing :)

YUMMY!