Stoked and FRUSTRATED

Yes, that was a frustrated all in caps.  Can you imagine.....me yelling?  NEVER!!!  lol  Just kidding.  All joking aside, I made the sale of a lifetime last night.  First let me start with, I made the best chili I have ever made yesterday and our annual tradition of our friends, the Miller's coming over for the first big pot of the new year went off without a hitch.  Jen and I decided to take a little road trip over to Hancock's and see if we could look at some embroidery machines.....cheap, easy to use, did I mention cheap?  Yeah well that was the plan but we got there and then lady at the Bernina counter was well, shall we just say, she was new, very, very new and suggested we come back tomorrow.  She even went a little further and told us to come after 2pm because the morning girl was "new" also....ok then!  On our way out the door, I had a sudden thought (aka "brain fart") that we should just go and take a gander at the machines being sold by Hancock and not just Bernina.  Well low and behold there was a machine and it was actually a Bernette by Bernina.  There was a tag on it marking it from $599.00 to $399.00.  You can imagine my surprise and my thought of cha ching, this might be our lucky night.  Well my buddy Jack went back and looked for us to see if they had a unit available and he came back with good and bad news.  The bad news was that the floor model was the only unit available, the good news was that it was 90% off.....WHAAAATTTT?  Yeah, my thought exactly......$59.00 for an embroidery machine....SOLD, ring it up.  Wait, not so fast, check for all parts....check.  Check for hoop.....check check.  How about software.....nope, nothing there and it says it is optional.  OK, now I am a computer geek and love a good challenge but this one is getting me.  It calls for use of eXplorations Lite software and the machine is the Bernette H79 for Bernina.   I have been searching the internet for 24 hours now and nothing.  I went and visited the Bernina lady today (yes after 2pm thank you very much) and she was extremely helpful but I am still without software and without a way to get images into the machine.  FYI, the machine was a usb port but it is the fat end of the usb if that makes sense and not like I can stick just a normal memory stick in there.  Also, the manual says that the machine's internal memory holds up to 99 designs (40 are pre-loaded).  How do I get the other designs there?  If anyone knows what I am talking about, I would be happy to load pics.

If anyone knows anything about this embroidery machine, please contact me and I will be forever in your debt.

Until next time,

Mamalou

2011 Reflections and Thoughts for 2012

First I have to say that I don't believe in "resolutions".  I think that this is a sure way to set yourself up to fail.  Sure, I want to make changes in my health in 2012.  I want to eat better, exercise more, yadda yadda...don't we all?  That is so vague and I think it is better to hope for peace in our families and that we all have a more prosperous new year than to set a goal that I am going to feel guilty if I am unable to obtain.

With that said I would like to reflect on the past year and the events that have effected me and the people that I love and care for.  First, my Daddy married his equal, his partner, his true love.  THAT makes me so happy to see him and his new wife happy.  It doesn't necessarily make me think that my job here is done because I still know that I am his one and only favorite daughter (his words, not mine...lol).  He is still the first man that I loved but I am happy that he has found true happiness with Peggy.

With that being said, I also had to put closure on my situation with my mom and let go of the pain and heartache that I feel/felt.  I truly now realize that we are just completely different people with completely different morals and beliefs and I have to accept that she is never going to be the storybook mother that we all dream of.  People change and sometimes not for the better and sometimes it is just best to walk away and lick our wounds to heal.  She is not what I want for my life, period, and that is OK to say and stand behind.  When I say I have had enough and I see how the negativity is effecting those around me, I have to stand behind my own decisions and that is just what I have done.  One day it might change but right now I am in the healing phase and the wounds are too fresh to open that door again anytime soon.

Also in the past year, as I have talked about many times, my disabilities have gotten worse.  My psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia have been diagnosed but I am in no way close to resolving the issues that burden me daily.  It continues to be a daily struggle that I deal with and as the year drew to a close, I was on my 3rd round of antibiotics due to sinus infections and a horrible cough.  I have come to deal with the issues however and know that even when I feel horrible, life goes on.  I must still try to do things that I need to do and coming to grips with that knowledge that "I can't do everything" has been hard but I don't let it tear me up as I used to.

As we move into 2012, I will continue to learn to delegate and release some of the control of items to other family members.  It does not make me weak, it makes me loved that I have people around me that care about me enough to want to help. I need to accept the help and love without feeling like a lessor individual.  I am still working on that but getting much better.

Also, I have learned that I need to make better choices on the people that I let into my life.  Unfortunately I have made some choices in the past that have not been so great.  Friendships are a give and take and I never intentionally hurt anyone.  I have learned who my true friends are and who really couldn't care less.  I guess it takes an illness to see how strong a friendship really is.  On that same note, I have met some extraordinary people this past year (yeah Dawn, you're in there :)) that have taught me some wonderful things about friendship.

On a closing note, I wish all of my readers a very happy new year and hope that all of your wishes and dreams come true in the upcoming year.  You all deserve the best and don't accept anything less!  Thank you all for reading about my antics and rants and I hope you stay around for more!  Love you all!

Until next time,
Mamalou

Things I have Learned from Sewing

Mind you, these items have just been learned in the past two hours.

1. If a pattern says use a pressing cloth with a specific interfacing, it is best that you follow this instruction.

2. If an iron, whatever the cost, says "self clean", that is exactly what that means...YOU will clean it YOURSELF, with a heck of a lot of elbow grease.

3. When heated, Goof-Off smells just as bad as when it is cold.

4. Vinegar does not clean everything...specifically said iron.

5. If you don't have plain vinegar but apple cider vinegar, try it. When mixed with baking soda, it makes a fun bubbly mix but still doesn't clean crap off of said iron! But the good news is, when warmed, the concoction kinda smells like bread is baking.

6. I don't really need fingerprints anymore. As long as I don't plan to be murdered anytime soon, they are only useful in identifying a body.

I think this is about enough lessons I need for a day but if anyone has a sure fire way to remove gluey residue from an iron, please leave me a comment. Also, check out what I am in the process of making below. It is a nice little ironing board caddy (how ironic) from sew4home. You can check out the link in my pinterest.

Until next time,

Mamalou

What if I said "Yes"?

What if I said "yes"?   The question is "can I do anything for you?" or "do you need anything?".  My "friends" know me and know that my response is always "no, I am fine".  I would never go out there and ask for assistance.  I wouldn't because in the past, when I have actually taken the steps to get someone to help me, the answer is always the same, "I have (insert whatever) and (insert whatever else) to do and am really busy, but I might be able to fit you into my schedule next Thursday at 9pm".  I get that everyone is busy but for a person to put themselves out there and ask for assistance (when you have volunteered), please don't try to fit me in at a time when you know that I won't be functioning or better yet, when the help is no longer needed.

I am not pointing the finger at anyone in particular, that is not the point of this post but you find out who your true friends are when you are disabled.  I am not always able to drive to you and I am not always fun anymore or even the happy go lucky girl that I used to be.  I KNOW that.....better than ANYONE, I KNOW that.  Some days it is hard to even live with myself and yes, it is depressing.  It is hard to see me like this.....I get that....I am depressing.....check check.  But when you say to me "What can I do to help" or "Do you need anything?", what if I responded with "Yes, thank you, there is"?  What would you say?

Mamalou

The Love Purse

Almost finished except for the straps

Straps going on

Interior (completely changed)

different options for a closure piece

Close up

Temporary closure

So this is it!  I still need to do some minor adjustments on it but essentially it is done.  I stayed up late the night before Thanksgiving because I was on a roll.  Of course it took a test run on Thanksgiving to determine the additional changes that it needs (closure, duh!, tightening of one of the straps, etc).

Right now I am working on some Christmas items for a holiday bizarre that I was invited to this weekend and then it is time to get house in order for the holidays and do some more sewing.  I want to make my own stockings this year!!!  Wish me luck!

Until next time,

Mamalou