I Love My Library

I know, I know, as a Librarian it should be pretty normal, a requirement even, to love libraries and I do! But today I'm talking about *my* library.

To explain; I'm a single mom, I don't work quite full time and there is not a lot money in our house to throw around. Which honestly I think is a good thing in some ways, but that's another posting. So, that means I don't go out to the movies a lot. In fact it's a pretty big occassion when we do. Heck, I don't even rent movies a lot. They're expensive too!

Now, how does not being able to afford to go to movies and loving my library relate?

Recently I noticed movies on my library's Best Seller Express display (that's for new stuff that you can only borrow for a week - cuts down on holds; it's a great system!). I have no idea when they started to do this but suddenly I can watch a newly released movie (more than once if I want to and have the time!) and not be so out of touch! Yehaw!!!!

And if plans suddenly change, as they are wont to do in a life with a teen and a pre-teen, and I run out of time to watch the movie, or it turns out to be a stinker that I hate (or it bores me to tears!) I don't have to feel guilty about spending the money on something I didn't watch....because it was free!!! Yay!

FYI I have watched Iron Man, The Hulk, Star Trek, The Changling, Gran Torino, X-men 3, Benjaman Button and I just borrowed Quantum of Solace. We've borrowed a few others and not managed to see them and I have a few more on my list.
The library also has older movies so my kids now finally get the jokes about "Who Ya Gonna Call".

Yep, I love my library! Ta!

A Happy Coincidence

 Yesterday I had the oddest coincidence happen. Happily it was a good one.

It started a little while ago when Adele Margolis died. Now, at the time of her death I had never heard of her but a lot of the sewing blogs that I read (and only found recently) talked quite a lot about it when it happened and how it was a lose to the sewing world and then (music to my ears) about how she had written quite a few WONDERFUL sewing books.
Sewing books?!?! I wonder if I can find any of her sewing books? I thought. Now understand dear readers...I love sewing books, especially older sewing books. I could even say that I collect old sewing books. I try to keep it under control but it doesn't always work. I have a few (nope, not gonna admit how many!) and I would love more! But sadly for me my local library didn't have any by Adele and I can't afford to buy any right now.

If we back track a little farther in time; prior to Ms Margolis' death we have me at one of my favorite events - the Rotary Club Book Sale. This event held every year at the local mall. Tables upon tables are lined up with a host, nay a bevy of books for folks to peruse. These are often books that no bookstore wants or ones that people have decided to donate to a worth cause. I love the Rotary Book Club Sale and I can always find something there I want. The craft/home ec section is usually my first stop although I've been known to stop and the SciFi section on the way by. This year's scores included a Martha Stewart Christmas craft book, an illustrated copy of The DaVinci Code (for $2!!!) and a new (well, for me) sewing book from 1969. Yum!
On the way home that day I popped my new sewing book into my work bag. It's always good to have something to read at work (which sounds funny from a Librarian doesn't it?) just in case.

Fast forward to last night and I'm stuck in traffic waiting for a train to pass. Wow the train is moving slloooowwww. What to do? Ah! I have that new sewing book in my work bag; which is in the car. So I pull it out and take a good look at it.....lo and behold! It's How to Make Clothes That Fit and Flatter by(drum roll please!) Adele P Margolis!!!!

Here I've been reading about this great woman and coveting her books while I HAD one in my bag! I was so stunned I just sat there for a minute and stared before I started reading.

Man, I LOVE the Rotary Book Club sale!!! I can't wait until this fall to see what treasures I can discover.

Ahhh, flannel

So, last night was my first night sleeping in my lovely (okay, maybe not physically lovely, but in the dark they felt lovely!) new pyjama shirt.
And I'm left with one important question.....Why didn't I ever make one before now !?!?!?!?!? All these years I've been making the girls pyjamas for Christmas and in all that time I've only ever made myself a pair of pants....and I don't usually wear flannel pants. What was I thinking?!?
So this year, I hereby promise myself that I will tweak my pattern (it's not quite what I'd love it to be) and come the time to go shopping for flannel for Christmas pj's....I'm getting some for me too!!!
I too will have new pj's in 2010! Well, at least a long shirt, 'cause like I said, I don't wear the pants! LOL
Now to figure out what I need to tweak.

Check one off the list!

Yay! The Frugal Pj shirt is done! DONE!!!!
I finished up the buttonholes yesterday and sewed the buttons on while chatting with a friend early this afternoon.
I have to admit that I was worried about this. See, I love the excitement of a a new project, and with the challenge of the kimono facing me I was kind of worried that I would drop the shirt and then it would end up in the UFO pile, never to be seen again.
But I didn't! Yay!
It probably helped that I could "work" on the kimono by washing the material, while I was doing the buttonholes. The buttons were easy as I'm always looking for something to with my hands while I watch TV or sit and chat. I am so thrilled that I got this done and here are the final pictures.

Also accomplished this weekend - a new soup recipe made with (drum roll please) my own home made stock! Wow am I ever coming up in the cooking world! I have never made stoc before but with the success of last weeks soup I thought it was time. I made it in the crock pot over night and I have to say; the house smelled divine when we got up Saturday morning. Yum! And since the carcass was from dinner the night before - the stock cost diddly to make. I bought a leek, carrots, celery and then added some spices...cheap!
Now, I will admit to also having bought broth at the grocery store...just in case my stock didn't work out. LOL but I didn't need it. wohoo.

Nothing much to report on the kimono project. I have the math all done and the fabric is now all washed. Payday is this week so Friday I'll head out to the local fabric store and get interfacing. I'm going to need that for the obi. I'm also going to get something to reinforce the seams on the kimono as the fabric is very shred-y and I want to make sure the seams hold. With the fabric only being 36" wide I have NO room for error here.

C did some baking today. I think her watching Food network when she comes home from school is a good thing. LOL Tonight we watched Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food. She made me go find the recipe for the pasta in creamy sauce with peas It looked good on the show and looks easy enough it might become a recipe for one of our busy nights if it turns out well. I would really like something new for that. I like the idea of the Ministry of Food. It's kind of a cool thing to resurrect. Our society seems to have become lost in some ways. Frugal things being one of them. The basics of sewing and cooking and all that being another. And we are so quick to dispose of things! Ack! That really annoys me.

Oh well, off the soap box and out to walk the dog for me. Ta!

Pomp-a-Doodle is addictive!

Monday evening this past week I bought a ball of Pomp-a-doodle yarn. It's like pompoms on a string and you can make some really cute stuff from it, like a scarf.
Tuesday I took the ball to work to play around with it at lunch.
Thursday I brought a new scarf home (and my daughter promptly stole it!) so Friday I headed back out and bought some more!
And I can't seem to stop!!!!! LOL
5 and counting.

Cool huh?

What makes a good day.

Today was one of those days - the ones where you get to the end and you say "ahhhhh, today was a  good day" with a contented sigh.
It wasn't exciting or special or anything like that, it was just soul comforting good. Ahhhhh

It started out with being able to sleep in. I got up and had a bite to eat and then S and I walked the dog. It thought about raining on us and didn't so that was good.
Then we drove out to my favorite Indian fabric store to look for material for the kimono. Now, that wouldn't always be hard but they girls have decided they both want to be able to wear it and that means they have to agree on the colour or find 2 colours that will work well together (I could have made the kimono lined/reversible.) *That* is not always easy. But today it was! Ah, good! They decided on one fabric for the kimono and 2 for the obi's so they could each have one. As usual I got a great deal. I love that store! The problem is never finding material, it's walking out still being able to buy the months groceries! LOL
Here's the fabrics we bought. Yum!

After shopping it was time to come home and start the under-kimono (aka the test pattern). I got the base of it done before I had to stop and make dinner. My measurements look like they're going to work beautifully.

I made soup! Okay, not exciting for most people but I have actually never made a home made soup in my life. I am not the most comfortable cook. I do okay, but it's not really my forte. Just after Christmas though we were in the bookstore and I found an *easy* chicken cookbook on sale. We eat a lot of chicken and I'm always looking for something new to try...if it's not too hard. I bought and have already found a few recipes I want to try. A few are for soup!
So for dinner tonight I decided to try the Chicken and Potato Soup with Bacon. Well WOW! It was easy to cook (just like the book promised) even for me and *everyone* liked it! There are some adjustments to be made (less potatoes and maybe some mushrooms or corn would be nice) but it's definatley worth repeating! And next time I need to make more so that way I might actually have some leftovers for lunches for work.There's enough left for maybe a cup of soup with lunch! I think that's a good sign though.

Gran Torino was the next installment to my great day. I found it at the library on Tuesday and set it up to watch while I did some Pomp-a-doodle knitting. I love Clint Eastwood! The movie is great too, although it made me miss my Dad. He was another grumpy ol' man. LOL
During it I got another scarf finished (that's 3 since Tuesday!) and  a 4th started. I love this stuff. I am going to be soooo ahead come Christmas.

Another rainless walk with the dog and S to finish up the day and soon I'll be off to a warm and comfy night's sleep.

Ahhhhhhhh What more could one girl ask for?

I have been Challenged!!

Well, not me directly, I'm taking this on for all creative parents. Let me explain.

Next month the Olympics are coming to BC. My daughters school is really getting into the spirit. Each class has picked a country; S's class is Japan. They are going to have an "opening ceremony" type parade and each class is to have flags and stuff to carry in the parade to show which country they belong to.
Mr D (S's teacher) thought that someone carrying the flag wearing a kimono would be cool. So he asked if anyone had one. One's girls cousin does but she's not sure she can borrow it because it came from Japan and it's silk (silk seems to scare people a bit, I'm not sure why). Mr D was sad :-( and said that's too bad and it's too bad no one could make one.
HA said I when I heard that. (Coming from DD with that wistful look in her eye - she knows her Mom can't resist a sewing challenge, the smart girl.)
"I can make a kimono!" 

In fact I've made kimono's before, they really aren't that difficult. They are just straight geometric shapes. Now, ask me to make full court garb from the Heian dynasty? That's hard! A regular Western influence kimono? Easy peasy! Like I said, I've made them before, albiet a long time ago in Unviversity but even then I don't remember them as being hard.

So this morning I did some research, found some great websites and soon I'll be off buying fabric. Of course I'll test it out on a sheet from the thrift store first. If that works it will become the white under-kimono that's usually worn.

Can't make a kimono? HA!

Great websites I'll be using here;
Simple sewing instructions
Wonderful pictures for dressing and tying the Obi
Lovely detailed pictures on dressing and tying an Obi with lots of styles of Obi