My craft room

As it was a rainy day Monday and today, I cleaned and organized my craft room. Moved around fabric, got the little things in groups such as premade handbag handles, ribbons for making cards, went thru my patterns from quilting and pulled out all the applique ones to destash and sell over at Etsy. Over the last 6 - 8 years I get these beautiful applique patterns and then they sit and sit and sit.

I really do not like applique quilts. Sad but totally true. I counted the patterns and had over 20. I tried two of them. The rest the seal isn't even broke. Hopefully I'll be able to recoup some of the money I paid for them. Most have been retired by the designer or company. They ranged in prices from$6.50 to $12.00. Not cheap. Looks like over $200.00 just in patterns. ACK thats LOL an illness.

As I'm not in mood for sewing bags or aprons...I think I'll work on some Holiday Items. I have lots of Halloween and Christmas fabrics I think I'll make up pillow cases. They are always a big hit!

My feet and legs have been cramping today...not sure if the weather change or if I need to go eat a bunch of bananas. My electro's might be off. Soooo Off to eat a banana. Maybe I'll heat one up and then dip in chocolate

Baking Muffins

Testing out some yummy muffins tonite. From a few recipes that look totally awesome. Until they are baked and tasted can't give away the kind I'm baking up! Then have a few cookie recipe, cupcakes and yes Tortes I want to try out also.

I'm going to test these on my family LOL. I'm evil I know. Tomorrow is Bake day soooo if my testing works I have new desserts for CoveredinChocolate.

Last nite went for a longer bike ride. My dear sweetie went along with me but HE added another several long blocks onto my ride. So I'm a tad tired tonite. Haven't really been sleeping very good last few nites...not sure why...but every since my OHS I go in cycles of not sleeping. Which means at least once a month or so NO sleep at all for a night. Not good for a person who is Not a late nite owl.

The Sun is Out!

Okay all week its been cloudy, had rain twice; today: SUN! Was one of those days you say 'oh wow its so beautiful'.

Been busy making kids aprons, cooking up new recipes, and making cards. CoveredinChocolate had a busy week! 4 orders all in the same week! Can't believe it...the listings sat with folks looking but not purchasing and then all of a sudden its been a whirlwind! Thank you - Thank You -Thank you for making me so happy by purchaing fantastic gourmet desserts!

Please remember if your in the Portland area to visit the shop BELLE SIROTA in the Janzen Beach Center where my modern handmade cards are being sold! They range in price from $5 to $2.75. Great deal for ultra cool cards.

Tomorrow if remains Sunny will be taking pictures of my newly made items. They just show up better in natural light.

Today my neice was married. She lives in Kansas City Missouri. I was not able to attend the wedding, but most of my family went over from St. Louis and New Jersey for the happy day! Can't wait til my Mom sends me some pictures.

Thats one of the problems living in a state so far away from everyone. I miss a few things like weddings, and showers for babies and funerals for old neighbors. Maybe the money fairies will bring me my million dollars soon from the money trees that I know grows somewhere!

Wednesday - Rain, Doctor Appointment

Today it started with clouds and more clouds. As the day is ending its raining. Smells so good when it rains! But I'm getting ahead of myself ---

It was my final visit with the OB for my surgery. 6 weeks post-op!

Yay I got the release I can do anything I want now, everything looked good inside and out. I healed very nicely the doctor thought! My surgery scar looks very nice I do admit! Nothing like bikini cuts for those who have surgery in the tummy region.

Although Fathom pain is something I'm experiencing. My nerves at the surgery site seem to think that a problem is there so they sent my brain a message 'warning warning pain on the right side warning pain pain pain'. So was told to place Ice until area is chilled pretty good, then massage that spot. It will relax the nerves and help to decrease the fake pain messages. Otherwise he said that scar tissue could develop there and the fake pain messages become a lasting effect AND we don't want that. Since its also where the tumor was its just also very sensitive area.

For anyone in the Anchorage area needing a great OB-Gyn I highly recommend:
Dr. O. Bell is a super wonderful OB-Gyn doctor. And his staff are really friendly! I had mentioned to him before my surgery "What if I decide not to do this surgery?" Facing slicing and dicing was making me a tad nervous...His reply was "I would have to worry about you and I don't like worrying about folks that need to have surgery". His kindness and gentle words of course helped me get the surgery, remove the tumor (which was Not ovarian cancer another YAYAYAYAY), and is making me healthy once again.

To celebrate I got the cutest fabric at the quilt shop...either a new handbag or two aprons! Will decide tomorrow.

Cooking

Okay I'm totally into making Aprons! I just made the sexiest little number. And the COLORS omg it shouts "BUY ME".





Now I'm not a trained model and I'm just a ole lady but here is the newest member of Aprons on Parade!

Gotta love it! I have several others over at my Etsy shop. Just click on AlaskaSews2 button (ya just to the right of this post and take a look!)

I just love bright colors and esp if its a blue/green combo! I am a die hard cooking show fan and this is inspired of course by Paula Dean - she big, bold, and beautiful just as this apron is!

Bike riding is going good! I do feel like its helping! Seems to have cut a pound or two off of my hips already! AYAYAYAYAYayyyyyyy

Tonite I made a pizza for dinner. Had everything on it...and it was yummy. Used the grape tomatoes and cut in half, put on the pizza with all my other stuff and they really added a whole new flavor to the pizza! LOL now tonite bike ride will be working off that those 3 slices I ate!

Friday and the lights are shining!

I decided I needed to get more exercise than walking. Been riding my bike all week again. I go thru the high school into a quiet neighborhood and ride down the streets. Some homes have flower gardens that make me weep they are so pretty!

Last night the mister tagged along to see where I go and how far I'm going. He is a die hard rider. He rides 14 to 20 miles every day. He is one of the first Winter bike riders here in Anchorage. LOL he started riding in the snow over 25 years ago and he was one of maybe three others. Now winter riders are seen all the time. Just like cars the bikers get snow tires with spikes on them to get traction in ice and snow.

I don't believe I will ever become a die hard...I like looking at things as a ride and stopping to smell flowers and watch dogs yawn.

But thanks to my sweetie's mile thingie its says my route is 4.25 miles and my average speed I ride at is 6.5 miles an hour. With top speed at this point in time 10.50 miles per hour. I feel thats pretty good for an old folk like me! Esp since I had major surgery just 5 1/2 weeks ago.

Alaska wild flowers and Messenger Bags

As I had mentioned I would post a few more pictures from my little adventure! I love taking pictures of nature. Flowers are one of my favorite to photograph. So a trip thru my eyes!

Alaska at it's best! Pic's from a rare sunny day!

I'm so bad! I haven't blogged for over 2 months. But that is what happens when you are facing surgery, have the major surgery and recover from surgery.

This has been one of those Alaskan summers. More like Seattle LOL. Cloudy, chilly. Boring. Old timers say this is what they remember Alaska summer being like, I've live here since 91 and up til 2005 the summers where Sunny, beautiful and fun! Now it is rare that a beautiful sunny day is around.

Also I have been busy sewing. I have been making more "Messenger Bags". Also I've done something I said I would not. I'm adding zippers to my bags. ACK I dislike zippers. They usually are the first thing to break or stop working. But customers want zippers so items don't fall out of their bags. And they want to be able to keep "pick pocketers" out of their bags. So to make folks happy I've added zippers. Check out my http://www.AlaskaSews2.etsy.com shop to see my new items! Even have some Halloween bags there! One of my favorite holidays.

Last week my dear sweetiepie took me for an adventure! We took his old RV and drove down to Gridwood and around Turnagain Arm to see the Glaciers at Portage.

And the day was SUNNY omg it was beautiful. It takes your breath away when you see Alaska in all its glory!

Its an 40 mile drive along the most awesome inlet! The tide was going out as we drove - looks like a vass wasteland that you can walk across; we would stop every few miles to take pictures.

I made up a wonderful picnic lunch: Real Crab salad sandwiches, cold fresh watermelon, and my homemade Triple Orange Truffles. We stopped about 1/2 thru our drive to have our lunch looking over the water which had the most awesome reflexions of the mountains!

The pictures are of that wonderful fun day!

More to follow in the coming days!