Wednesday, December 10, 2008
More Christmas Crafts
There are lots of times when you need an inexpensive, easy gift for someone (like a teacher, bus driver, mail carrier, etc.). Sometimes you want to get a gift for a friend or family member, but you don't know what to give them. Maybe you even want to make a simple, useful item for yourself!
This is something that just about anyone can make, and you can really get creative with it if you want. Thanks to my friend Linda, who gave me one of these a few years ago and thus inspired this simple homemade gift.
First, you need a few things - a square potholder with a loop for hanging. Make sure the loop is on the side, not on a corner - that kind won't work for this project. You can use a rectangular potholder, if the loop is on one of the short sides. A coordinating kitchen towel. A button that will fit through the loop on your potholder. Needle and thread. A sewing machine is useful, but not completely necessary.
Take the kitchen towel, and find the center (easiest by folding it in half, short side to short side). Sew two rows of loose stitches side by side, then pull bottom threads gently to gather. You'll want the gathered area to be approximately the same width or slightly smaller as your potholder. (You can also just make small pleats by folding, if your towel doesn't have a picture on it) To keep the gathering from getting messed up, I then tie the threads off and trim them neatly.
Place the gathered towel with the gathered part centered over the center of the potholder. Make sure the gathered section runs parallel with the loop at the top of the potholder. Sew through all layers. (I usually sew it twice, for strength) I also use clear thread, so I don't have to match the thread color to the towel and potholder - it also helps camouflage it if you make a sewing mistake. You know, not that I've ever done that or anything....
Next, sew the button on. I like to use a neutral colored button, but the possibilities are pretty much endless here. I also try to match the color of the potholder with the thread I sew the button on with, although that's not necessary.
The towel can now hang on your cabinet or oven door. I like to buy an extra towel (the potholders often come in pairs), and then give them as a set. This is a gift you can make for EASILY under $5, although you can buy more expensive towels and potholders if you choose. (I got mine at Wal-Mart and spent $3, and I already had the button & thread.)
This doesn't have to be just a Christmas gift, either. You can make these in colors to match someones kitchen, or for other seasons/holidays. I have the stuff to make some for Fall/Thanksgiving, and these days you see kitchen towels in just about any theme you can imagine!
This is something that just about anyone can make, and you can really get creative with it if you want. Thanks to my friend Linda, who gave me one of these a few years ago and thus inspired this simple homemade gift.
First, you need a few things - a square potholder with a loop for hanging. Make sure the loop is on the side, not on a corner - that kind won't work for this project. You can use a rectangular potholder, if the loop is on one of the short sides. A coordinating kitchen towel. A button that will fit through the loop on your potholder. Needle and thread. A sewing machine is useful, but not completely necessary.
Take the kitchen towel, and find the center (easiest by folding it in half, short side to short side). Sew two rows of loose stitches side by side, then pull bottom threads gently to gather. You'll want the gathered area to be approximately the same width or slightly smaller as your potholder. (You can also just make small pleats by folding, if your towel doesn't have a picture on it) To keep the gathering from getting messed up, I then tie the threads off and trim them neatly.
Place the gathered towel with the gathered part centered over the center of the potholder. Make sure the gathered section runs parallel with the loop at the top of the potholder. Sew through all layers. (I usually sew it twice, for strength) I also use clear thread, so I don't have to match the thread color to the towel and potholder - it also helps camouflage it if you make a sewing mistake. You know, not that I've ever done that or anything....
Next, sew the button on. I like to use a neutral colored button, but the possibilities are pretty much endless here. I also try to match the color of the potholder with the thread I sew the button on with, although that's not necessary.
The towel can now hang on your cabinet or oven door. I like to buy an extra towel (the potholders often come in pairs), and then give them as a set. This is a gift you can make for EASILY under $5, although you can buy more expensive towels and potholders if you choose. (I got mine at Wal-Mart and spent $3, and I already had the button & thread.)
This doesn't have to be just a Christmas gift, either. You can make these in colors to match someones kitchen, or for other seasons/holidays. I have the stuff to make some for Fall/Thanksgiving, and these days you see kitchen towels in just about any theme you can imagine!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tuesday Tip O' the Day
Hey, it's still technically Tuesday - get off my back! LOL. Just kidding. I've been working (off and on) all day on a book for one of my nieces, so I will incorporate my tip o' the day with this...
Don't be intimidated to try doing something you've never done before. This was a panel I bought at Wal-Mart a while back. Until I did the Ark the other day, I'd never sewn anything like that. This was pretty straightforward, but I did learn a few things in the process (like how to use piping). Here's the finished project:
Front Cover
Inside cover & 1st page
Pages 2 & 3
Pages 4 & 5
Pages 6 & 7
Page 8 & Rear inside cover
Back
I think it turned out pretty well. I saw a pattern at JoAnn's the other day that I thought about picking up (why I didn't just go ahead and get it when I could have gotten it for $1.99 is beyond me). Now that gotten a taste for how simple it is to make a book like this, I might just have to get that pattern. The next time they are on sale.Monday, December 8, 2008
Oh, you MUST be joking!
I just happened to spot this article today while slacking off taking a break from cleaning house. Here our economy is totally falling apart, and there are still people out there who are this cocky? Please, read on to see what I mean:
(Reuters) – Merrill Lynch & Co Chief Executive John Thain has suggested to directors that he get a 2008 bonus of as much as $10 million, but the battered company's compensation committee is resisting his request, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the situation.
The compensation committee has not reached a decision, but is leaning toward denying Thain and other senior executives bonuses for this year, the people told the paper.
Merrill could not be immediately reached for comment.
Shareholders on Friday approved Bank of America Corp's takeover of Merrill, a deal fraught with risk but one that would create a banking giant with a leading position in almost every major area of the financial system.
Merrill was arguably saved from extinction when it agreed to merge on September 15, an hour before Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc filed for bankruptcy. The fear was that Merrill could be next if shareholders and trading partners fled, as many did at Lehman and the former Bear Stearns Cos.
Thain has said he deserves a bonus because he helped avert what could have been a much larger crisis at the firm, people familiar with his thinking told the WSJ.
Members of Merrill's compensation committee agree with Thain that the takeover is in shareholders' best interest, but believe it would be foolish to ignore strong public sentiment against large compensation packages, the paper said, citing people familiar with their thinking.
Committee members are also weighing the fact that other Wall Street firms, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc, which did better than Merrill this year, are not giving out bonuses to top executives, the paper said.
Thain, who became Merrill's chief executive after losses in mortgage-related investments led to the October 2007 ouster of Stanley O'Neal, has also run NYSE Euronext, after a long career at Goldman.
After the Bank of America-Merrill deal is completed, he will run the merged company's global banking, securities and wealth management businesses. Thain will not be joining Bank of America's board.
(Reporting by Pratish Narayanan in Bangalore; Editing by Kazunori Takada)
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Seriously, I don't know how this guy can even put a pair of pants on in the morning with the size of the "pair" he is carrying around with him.
Okay, I'm done ranting now.
(Reuters) – Merrill Lynch & Co Chief Executive John Thain has suggested to directors that he get a 2008 bonus of as much as $10 million, but the battered company's compensation committee is resisting his request, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the situation.
The compensation committee has not reached a decision, but is leaning toward denying Thain and other senior executives bonuses for this year, the people told the paper.
Merrill could not be immediately reached for comment.
Shareholders on Friday approved Bank of America Corp's takeover of Merrill, a deal fraught with risk but one that would create a banking giant with a leading position in almost every major area of the financial system.
Merrill was arguably saved from extinction when it agreed to merge on September 15, an hour before Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc filed for bankruptcy. The fear was that Merrill could be next if shareholders and trading partners fled, as many did at Lehman and the former Bear Stearns Cos.
Thain has said he deserves a bonus because he helped avert what could have been a much larger crisis at the firm, people familiar with his thinking told the WSJ.
Members of Merrill's compensation committee agree with Thain that the takeover is in shareholders' best interest, but believe it would be foolish to ignore strong public sentiment against large compensation packages, the paper said, citing people familiar with their thinking.
Committee members are also weighing the fact that other Wall Street firms, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc, which did better than Merrill this year, are not giving out bonuses to top executives, the paper said.
Thain, who became Merrill's chief executive after losses in mortgage-related investments led to the October 2007 ouster of Stanley O'Neal, has also run NYSE Euronext, after a long career at Goldman.
After the Bank of America-Merrill deal is completed, he will run the merged company's global banking, securities and wealth management businesses. Thain will not be joining Bank of America's board.
(Reporting by Pratish Narayanan in Bangalore; Editing by Kazunori Takada)
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Seriously, I don't know how this guy can even put a pair of pants on in the morning with the size of the "pair" he is carrying around with him.
Okay, I'm done ranting now.
A Very Crafty Christmas
In continuing with my effort to save a few dollars this Christmas while giving gifts (I hope) my family will enjoy, I present - Noah's Ark.
I made this for my niece Nomers, who is about 3 months younger than The Jib. If the amount if interest Puckey and Jib showed in this is any indication, I think Nomers will really like it. It's got a pocket on either side, to hold the animals and Noah.
Outdoor gear at closeout prices
Christmas is almost here - do you have your shopping done? Maybe you have an outdoors man that needs some new gear this year. Or perhaps you want to equip your home with some new heavy-duty flashlights to light your way when the power goes out? Could it be that you have a man-boy who outgrows shoes faster than you can buy them, and he needs new boots for winter? You might even just want to buy a new set of long-underwear or a pair of sunglasses.
LA Police Gear might specialize in military gear, but you can find many items that are useful in civilian life too! You'll find items available from many well-known brands, such at Woolrich, Converse, Under Armor, and MORE! Hats, t-shirts, pants, boots, backpacks, flashlights....the list goes on. Many of these items are at great prices, and the special offers available on the website can help you to save time and money. See what LA Police Gear has to offer by clicking here: Surefire Flashlights
There is something here for just about anyone left on your Christmas shopping list. They even have a women's section. Check it out, and take advantage of some of the special offers, such as special pricing, free shipping (restrictions apply), and free gifts with purchase.
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