How Many Sewing Machines Do You Own?

When I was a little girl, maybe 6 or 7 years old, I was at an auction with my mother 

where she bought a little black and gold sewing machine. 

It was a Singer 221 Featherweight machine. That was the vintage machine I learn to sew on. 

I have wonderful memories of sewing with my mom and using that machine.

About 25 years ago I walked into an estate sale. Back in the corner was a little black case.

 I knew immediately it was a Singer Featherweight machine like my mom had bought when I was a little girl.

I also, knew I was NOT leaving without that machine. 

Note: I have a certificate from Singer that dates my machine. It was issued in 1953, that makes it a few years older then me:)

I bought it for $70.00, which was a steal. I was so excited, I don't think anyone understood how much that meant to me to have my own Singer Featherweight just like my mom's.

 I had 3 little girls back then, so I was so excited to be able to use that machine with my girls just  like I did with my mom. 

 My daughter's & now my granddaughter's have all sewn on my little machine. 

It runs slow and steady which makes it a great machines to learn on.

The other day, I was in Family Sewing in Grandville MI taking a serger class. (They do a great job at classes)

 I saw the  Singer 160 Year Anniversary Machine.

How fun, it looks so much like my 1953 Singer Featherweight. SO COOL! I had to stop and take a good look at it. What a great idea Singer had to make it look so vintage! I am sure there are many warm memories this vintage looking machine brings to people. The vintage look is so touching! 

 Singer had a contest last year for this very machine. I told my story and read many wonderful accounts of people and their experiences with Singer machine's.

This is my current  sewing machine........a state of the art back in 1988 when I bought my Viking Machine. 

(Almost as vintage as my little 1950's black Singer:)

It still works very well but I hope to update it soon.

Don't feel too bad for me & my vintage sewing machines....since I just bought a wonderful Serger! 

(In-fact, my mom last December was laughing at me that I was still just using a sewing machine and had not bought a Serger) 

So....I bought a Baby Lock Evolution. Incredible! Awesome! 

Why did I wait so long!~~ you get the idea!

What an interesting adventure this new machine has been. The challenge of knowing when and how to use a Serger vs a regular sewing machine.--But that's another blog:)

 There is so much truth in the saying of  how difficult it is to teaching an old dog new tricks, 

especially when the old dog is me teaching me!!!!

I love doing the rolled hem and the cover stitch!

 I LOVE my new Serger!

I am sure one day my lovely new Baby Lock Serger will be added to the list of my favorite vintage machines:)

Sew Much Fun!

Flower Girl Dresses On A Budget?

Three years ago when my youngest daughter got married, she decided to have 6......yes  I said 6 flower girls.

Holly had 4 nieces and Justin had 2.  It was the fun thing to do.

 Trying to stay within a budget can be difficult when planning a wedding. ( I know, 10 years ago my two other daughter's had their weddings 5 months apart!)

After looking for flower girl dresses at the local bridal shops, and seeing how much they cost, we decided to go to a major retailer who had  a good selection of special occasion dresses.

We found the perfect little dress for the girls, except they where all white.  We felt the dresses could use a more custom look and we wanted to match the yellow of the bridal party.

These dresses ended up costing under $50.00 each. (The bridal store's selections are at least triple that amount. or more)

(I just checked this same dress available for $30.00 at JC Penney)


Victoria, (Holly's maid of honor) came up with the idea of opening the lace on the sides of the dress and adding yellow ribbon in the waistband.. What a GREAT idea!

I  carefully cut the lace open on each side of the dress. I put Dritz Frey Check on the edge of the lace to keep it from fraying.  After it was completely dry I put the ribbon through the front of the dress and made a nice bow in the back~~~it was DARLING X 6!!!

(NOTE:  Always make sure you let the Frey Check completely dry before you move to the next step in your project).

We had one more challenge. The dress did not come small enough for Abby. (She is the little one looking up at Holly in the picture ) To fixed that problem we bought the smallest size available and made it smaller to fit Abby.

(We took a 6X down to a 4T). This could cost about $35.00 to $50.00 for a seamstress to do if you are unable sew).


I think they look beautiful!  The yellow ribbon gave them a custom look.

I love this picture of them laying in their fancy dresses coloring

Jenilee   (Holly's sister) is a smart mommy and brought coloring books and things to keep them busy!

Waiting for get the show on the road!

3 years later Holly has her own little flower girl, Sloan and Myla coming in May:)

(Here's the math.... 4 at the wedding + 1 since the wedding  + another 1 on the way = 6 granddaughters for us:)

Busy Mom's Super Fast, Super Easy, Ground Beef Meals

Beside, travel & sewing I love to cook.

I was a stay home Mom until my youngest started 3rd grade. I know first hand how difficult it is to work, take care of a family and keep all the activities going.

This idea is not only a great time saver but helps you provide, healthy home cooked meals in minutes. Or have dinner ready by using the ground beef for your favorite crock pot recipe.

This is a really simple idea but I have only met one person who does the same thing that I have been doing for years. It was a cashier at a grocery store, who buys the ground beef on sale and pre-cooks it for her daughter. (My girls have to cook their own:)

Start with 3 or 4 pounds of ground beef. (I sometimes use a combination of  ground beef & venison-this time I am using 2 beef & 1-vension).

To have less calories and save money, you can also mix ground turkey or chicken with the beef.

Take the beef, frozen or fresh and put it in a pan, cover with water. You can do it on the stove top or in the oven the same way you cook a roast.  Let the meat cook until completely done.
Stir, to keep from sticking and to break up the meat. I use a hand chopper to chop the beef really fine after I drain it.

DO NOT PUT ANY SEASONING IN THE MEAT. NOT EVEN SALT AND PEPPER..SINCE YOU ARE FREEZING THE MEAT, WHEN YOU TAKE IT OUT YOU WILL KNOW IT IS JUST COOKED MEAT.

This is what it look like when it is almost done.

Once it is completely cooked put it in a stainer and rinse with warm water to get as much grease out of the meat as you can.  Let it completely cool and drain.

Put the meat in quart size freezer bags. I put about 1 pound in each bag. Date and label the bags.

Now here comes the fast and easy part.

Spaghetti
Take 2 jars of your favorite sauce and 1 bag of frozen ground meat in a crock put on low for 8 hours or high for 4.
(My girls will tell you when they where growing up we had this once a week!)
Add noodles and a salad or vegetable and you are done.

Chili
Use one bag of frozen meat with you favorite chili recipe. Use your crock pot. I like to serve the chili on spaghetti or baked potatoes.

Sloppy Joe's

Use on bag of meat, a can of sloppy Joe mix, I add a small can of baked beans and put on a open face hamburger bun. Add slice of cheese, then put in the over for a few minute to melt the cheese~~wonderful!

Mexican- Anything- you can make Tacos, Burritos Nacho's.
Take the ground beef, add you favorite seasoning to make your favorite Mexican dishes.

 I would love to have you share your ideas or recipes that you could use pre-cooked ground beef in.

Next time you see it on sale try this idea and see how much time it can save you and it is .......so easy! Plus you only have the pan and stainer dirty once for 5 or 6 meals.

Enjoy!

10 Must Know Travel Tips

I love to cruise (15 times and booked next year) and I love to travel to all-inclusive resorts.
 
Here is a picture of the bulletin board in my home office. 

 (I will say it for you..... that mustache on my husband is horrible:)

I hope these tips help you with your next vacation. 

1. Make An Decision To Relax.
When you leave for the airport......make a a decision to relax. This may sound crazy but most people take 1/2 of their vacation to relax.  Think about it...you planned well, your kids will be fine,your stuff is insured and everything will be there when you get back:)

 Take a deep breath, this is the week you have been waiting for.


2. Go With The Flow
 A change of scenery is what vacations are all about.....have a flexible schedule.  An opportunity may come along that is better then what you had planned. Be open to changes.

3. Pack As Light As Possible
I would take about 1/2 of what you think you need. Lighter luggage is so much easier to manage. If you wear the same outfit twice you will be fine:)

4. Take Only The Necessary Credit Cards
Unless you will be doing a home improvement project on your vacation you will not need your Lowe's credit card in the Caribbean or Mexico:)
We take two credit cards on vacation. We leave one in the safe in our room or cabin and take one with us on outings. Copy your two credit cards front and back and keep that in a safe place. ( I also make a copy of our id and keep that with it). If you lose your wallet  or it is stolen it will not ruin your vacation. One phone call to your credit card company to cancel and you are back on vacation. It would be horrible to have all your cards lost that you should have left home.

Note-you should call your credit card company and let them know you will be out of the country and maybe using your card.

5.If You Are Taking A Cruise- Leave One Day Early
We love to go a day early and stay in a hotel near the cruise port. This really helps with tip number one, relax. We can sleep in, get to the ship early and be out by the pool before most people get to the airport. Pack a pair of shorts or a swimsuit and cover up in your carry on, it maybe a while before your luggage arrives in your cabin.

6. Proper Documents
You cannot travel without the proper documents.  The minute you book your vacation check your documents to be sure of the expiration date. Wondering  how I know this? I carry a Canadian passport, last September we had a vacation booked to Mexico. I never checked my passport until about 8 days before we left. So after, 3 tanks of gas,  $250.00 and 2 trips to Canada and I got my passport the day before we left.-Not a relaxing way to start a vacation!

 Check with your travel agent or tour/cruise company to make sure you have proper documentation.

7. Purchase A Cruise Or Travel Guide
This will really help you prepare and have a great vacation. The Internet has a lot of information but having a guide with you on your vacation will come in handy.  This gives you information about beaches, buses and activities.

8. If You Are New To Travel-Use A Travel Agent
The commission for most packages and cruises are built into the price. You may pay a small agent fee but it will be well worth the money.  The Internet is a great resource but will not replace an experience travel agent.

9.All Inclusive Or Cruise-what's a vacationer to do?
An all-inclusive or resort vacation is much more relaxing than taking a cruise. The cruise has activities planned from morning until night,(besides eating) if you try to do everything you can stay very. very busy. A resort (all-inclusive) has activities but has a way slower pace.  (I will post about the cost and differences between them at another time)

10. Airport Off-Site Parking.
Check with the Internet and the local airport. On-site parking is very expensive. Off-site parking can save you a lot of money.  We also sometimes book a hotel that includes the parking. So do the math, if it is $10.00 a day to park for 7 days, and you can go the night before and stay at a hotel for $70.00 or $90.00 a night and it includes the parking.  We are about 3 hours from Detroit, this work great, we do a Park & Stay at a hotel by the airport for about what 7 days of parking cost. Plus the hotel transfers you back and forth the the airport and sometimes includes breakfast:)

Have a great vacation!

Added my tips to Many Little Blessing site, for  TOP TEN TUESDAY:)

How To Pack 5 Days Of Healthy Food In 1 Hour

Every Sunday, it is a ritual at our house, to pack a full week of meals for my husband. Ben drives a semi-truck and makes two trips a week from Michigan to the east coast.

Together we prepare his lunch, it takes about an hour.

We also do veggies for me to take in my lunch for the week. I've been dieting--seriously for a few years:) and this makes it much easier in the morning, I can just grab the little baggies and pack my lunch quick.

It saves both time and money.  I think it is so much healthier for him to eat out of his cooler

I hope some of these tips help you to pack healthier lunches.


The best thing I have found is making wraps for him to take for the week.

I use flat bread or whole wheat tortillas and a little cream cheese for the base.  For meat, I use grilled (in the summer) or baked (in the winter) chicken breast. I season the chicken breast with Montreal Chicken Seasoning and add little honey just before we take it off the grill or out of the oven.
Purchased rotisserie chickens work well also.  Beside the cream cheese and meat I add a slices of cheese (Ben's favorite is sharp cheddar).
I use only romaine lettuce since it will stay crisp all week.

Then I wrap each one individually with plastic wrap.

NOTE: Lunch meat will work if you eat the wrap the next day.  If you are making warps for the week like I do, lunch meat does not work. (I think it is the water that is in the lunch meat)

Real cooked chicken or any other cooked meat, like beef roast, pork loin or turkey do not get soggy In fact, Ben says, the wraps on Friday taste the same as Monday, so I am confident these wraps can be made ahead of time.


Other things we make, are canned salmon with olive oil mayonnaise and a little Montreal Chicken seasoning. He eats this like a dip with crackers or celery.

He loves Greek yogurt especially Chobani.

You should try Greek yogurt, the protein is much higher and it taste great!

Beside the items listed so far we add fresh fruits, a bag of cookies and a few other snack items.  He takes milk and cereal, low fat cottage cheese, mixed nuts, oranges juice and drinks lots of coffee.

He can fill his Stanley Thermos for about $1.50 which saves us money, since it is cheaper than by the cup.

If you knew my husband, you would know he has a certain way to pack his lunch in his  Coleman cooler.


Empty 

 Full

Everything has it own spot, so he can find it while driving down the road.

I am so glad he has fresh and healthy food to eat!  Plus, at Ben's last physical he got a great report from our family doctor. She told him to keep up the good work!


Here's my Ben:)

Lunch with Candice Olson-HGTV

Candice Olsen came to the Grand Rapids, Home and Garden Show as guest of Standale Interiors.  I bought a ticket to hear her speak, but I was also selected to have lunch with her after the presentation.

It was so much fun!

I am a big fan (but who isn't) of Candice Olsen and I love to watch her show Divine Desgin  and Design Star on HGTV

 Design Star is a competition for HGTV wantabees  to get their own show. My favorite part is the "white box challenge". Each of them gets their own white box space, with a few basic white pieces of furniture and $500.00 to spend at a local store. I love it because it is so fair, they all have exactly the same tools to work with and to see what they come up with (or don't) is just amazing!

 (Candice told me she is not participating as a judge this year, and they are taping right now for this summer show.)
 I can hardly wait!

The event started with a very informative 1 hour presentation, packed full of her best ideas. She was very easy to listen too and sometime really funny.

PS: I am wearing my Azuli Skye  necklace I bought from Holly Phillips- love it!

Like, Candice I am from Canada, it was great to hear a few eh's. (For those of you who do not know, Canadian's love to end their sentence with.... eh? No too sure why but they all do it!)

A nice lunch was  provided by Standale Interiors    Standale Interiors  carry her line of furniture,  Candice Olson Furniture Design by Norwalk Furniture).

 At lunch, Candice was so sweet, very warm and friendly. She went from table to table "speed dating" style and took time to have her picture taken and talk to everyone.

This event inspired me to give you a couple of my design tips:)

I call this my idea/love it book! For years  I have kept pictures of room, spaces and colors I that I love. Sometimes, I know exactly why I like the space, sometimes it is harder for me to define but I keep the picture anyway.  It REALLY helps you to identify what you like.

It can be an interesting  exercise to take some time and go through the book....you will discover your design style.

My second tips is paint chips. There is SO much you can do with them. ( I have to give credit, my mum is the queen of using paint chips for home decorating)

I carry my little notebook with all my household colors in it. That way when you come across a fun item or are doing some serious shopping you will know if it is the right color to match your space.

(We have all bought what we thought was the PERFECT  color match, only to get home and it is so WRONG!)

 It was a great day.  I think everyone, (including me) was ready to go home and design something!