Let's Inspire each other to be Creative

Painterly.. are there only 2 pics of your kids?  they are adorable.. i think i could do that.. i have 3 photos just waiting to be turned into paintings.

love it

Apple, Do you remember cleaning house with your Mom or the things you did together that were fun? Maybe talk them into 30 minutes of cleaning, then paint together. They're more likely to do it before than after. Good luck!

I'm not familiar with the books you mention. I know there's a Sewing for Dummies which covers the basics. Simplicity has patterns called Learn to Sew and might have a pattern for the pants you mention. Those pants should be very easy--good project to go first. Have you ever sewed before? Like learned how to lay the pattern out (7th grade home ec in my case). Do you live where there are large fabric stores? Lots of them carry books and you could look before you buy. Staff mostly sew themselves and might have a recommendation. Used book stores also carry sewing books. Pattern companies also have sales where patterns are $1-3. Don't start with a Vogue pattern. They seem to assume you know quite a bit already. Hope I haven't confused you. Happy sewing!

My husband got me a new fancy machine about 3 years ago. I STILL have to look stuff up in the book. It's supposed to thread needles, but it only works some of the time. Someone sent a letter to Threads Magazine saying she puts a piece of colored paper behind the needle when she's threading it. I tried it and it worked!

I am going to take a sewing class in November. Always wanted to make curtains, at least. I have a machine my MIL bought me a few years ago.

This past year I took crochetting lessons, so I am having fun crochetting things.

good luck with your new venture, Sunflowers.

Sunflower...You are just a Jack of all trades. Good for you for dibble dabbling in EVERYTHING. Sewing was never my strong point. I remember the flannel pj's I made in Junior High. I think it was my last try at sewing. When you have just boys......it kind of takes the excitement out of it. 'Girly dresses rock!!!'

I was at the breast clinic today and the volunteer who pushes the Mary Muffin trolley was there also. I told her I wrote a poem about her and her trolley. She was ecstatic and wanted me to recite it. I couldn't remember all of it but enough for her to be overjoyed at hearing it. She told me that her mother who will turn 80 in a day or two bakes the muffins that she pushes through the clinic and would I email her the poem to help celebrate her birthday. Here is my first version of it dashed off in a hurry after I left the clinic last year. I tried to improve upon it since she will be reading it outload. Let me know if you think I could improve upon it further.  http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/84/topic/766667?page=7

And the improved verson, bear in mind that the spacing is better on my word document:

The Mary Muffin Trolley at
The Cedars Breast Cancer Clinic

Click clack, click clack, went the sound of the shoes as the Mary Muffin trolley rolled along the hallway of the breast cancer clinic. The women were lined up like peas in a pod, the
hospital gowns clutched tightly around their nervous bodies. Some occupied their time
leafing through magazines while others stared blankly into space.

Today was my dreaded mammogram visit.

***********************************************************

The eagerness of spring's first light brightened the hallway filled with both hope and dread. Hope to hear the words:    "you can go, everything is
ok" ... or dread that biopsies and further treatment may once again disrupt
happiness and peace of mind.

Click clack, click clack, the trolley once again moved along the hallway. The friendly face of the volunteer behind the trolley in the shiny studded shoes that clacked along the
floor offered muffins and juice to the gowned ladies seated against the wall. Some eagerly accepted the refreshments while others were too worried to eat.

Above the silence of the waiting women rose the hustle and bustle of the staff as they guided their patients through the process of screening and follow up visits with the doctor. Sighs of relief as some women finished their visit and thankfully left the clinic, while one poor soul sobbed uncontrollably when she learned of the result of her screening. I was one of the lucky ones and left the breast cancer clinic as the sound of the click clacking of the Mary Muffin trolley disappeared down the hallway and out of view.

NICE...

Thanks ladies.

I am rewording some aspects of the poem, making it a little more about Mary than myself. My daughter didn't like the peas in a pod so I changed that to seated against the hall walls etc.

But I am having trouble with lines 13,14 and 15:

Here's a question: does the wording "in the shiny studded shoes" suggest they are being worn by the trolley or Mary? LOL. I really do want to keep the description of the shoes because that is what she was wearing the day I was there and I was totally fascinated by her and her shoes and the click clacking noise they made in contrast to the silence of the women as they played the waiting game. (Mammos, US, diagnoses etc. in the same day).

Thanks Sunflowers. I like that you added "wonderful" so no offense would be taken at the clacking noise LOL So now those lines read:

Click clack, click clack went the sound of Mary's wonderful shiny studded shoes as the trolley once again moved along the hallway. Her friendly face smiled as she offered muffins and juice to the gowned ladies seated against the wall...etc.

Thanks!

I like the added wonderful as sunflowers suggested

Thanks Sunflowers for you kind words!

I bought a medical id bracelet warning not to do BP or needles on my right arm (I'm also allergic to penicillin and put that on also). Then I took a jewelry class at the senior center and made 2 bead bracelets to wear on it. I'm going to take the class again and make a couple more in different colors. It was a lot of fun.