Hubby always makes the plan bigger

After YEARS of sewing little hobby projects, I've decided that I'm finally ready to be a bit more dedicated to it... I think it was trying to cut some fabric for my latest project

with scissors that were already toast that did it for me.  Don't worry, I'm not gonna start sewing my own clothes...well unless I can't find what I'm looking for!  :D

Luckily I had gotten some coupons for a local sewing place and was able to purchase new sewing scissors...GOOD ones for half price.  YAY!  I love a good deal.  I also looked for one of these. 
At first I looked for it at the same store that I bought my scissors...they had one online (that I can't find now, perhaps because when I looked yesterday it was out of stock?) but when we were at the store they were completely out of them.  So I decided to try my local Wally World.  I knew it was a long shot, but totally worth a try...right?

YES!  So worth a try!  Not only did I find it, they had it for $2 less than the sewing place!!! :D  *happy dance!*
The only problem I now had was that the table that I'm currently using to cut fabric on is 30"x40" and the board is of course 36"x60" (the size of the largest yard of fabric you can get). 

So I think I should just have hubby make me a cubby hole shelf to make up the difference in size and I'll just put the extra 6 inches in width to the back so I don't put any weight on it. :D  I drew up the plans...

When I showed them to hubby, he balked at my idea.  He didn't like that it is a book shelf but since the middle shelf could be one piece it would require that the back of the shelf a sturdier piece of wood so it can support the middle shelf.  He tried to talk me into just a regular book shelf...but I didn't want that.  So after learning why I wanted the shelf to look like this he suggests just building me a new table! 

As it turns out we have the materials to just build a new table...he could even make the legs on one side be  storage shelves for me.  And it wouldn't take that much more work.  So now instead of getting a new shelf, I'm getting a new table...one day.  I told him I wanted it for Mother's day.  I wonder if I'll really get it by then.  LOL!

Different shoes

Today I ordered new jazz shoes for Darly.  She needs these for her dance class and they're a royal pain to get.

If you buy them locally they cost more, but at least you know they fit.  But if you order them online you can find ones that are much cheaper.  They're a knock-off brand but considering how quickly she's going to outgrow or go through them it's worth it...IF I get the right size!

See these shoes don't run the same size as street shoes...the manufacturers tell you this.  (then why not change the number on the shoe???  ah to keep us confused and make most of your money on the restocking charges when we are forced to return them!)  GREAT

So I found Darly some shoes a few months ago and ordered them without checking her current shoes that we inherited from a friend (BTW:  Thanks friend!  those shoes came at just the right time for us!  They've been a life saver!)  back to the story... so I'm online and find the shoes and order based on her current street shoe size and the website's recommendations on how much larger to order...only to get the shoes and find out that they are the EXACT same size as the shoes we already had that are tight!  ARGH!  The bad part they charged a $15 restocking fee.  phoey!

So I didn't return them.  I found someone in her class with smaller feet!  I'm selling them at a discount, but it's way less than the $15 restocking fee.  So we're all happy-ish.

Then I found these shoes today that I've just ordered.  All the reviews are glowing and I've ordered the right size...maybe a tiny bit bigger?  Hopefully they last the rest of the year, and even more hopefully I can then sell them to someone with feet smaller than BIGFOO... er Darly.

Slowcooker!!!

As I mentioned in my first Shoe post...I found a deal on a crock pot that I was looking for online!  So I placed my order...got my confirmation and waited.

Then the day that I was to get my slow cooker I get an email from Fedex that they BROKE my slow cooker right here in my very own city!  They were less than an hour from my house in bad traffic and they BROKE my slow cooker!  ARGH!

And then I hear nothing!  *chirp chirp!*

So I email the company...they assure me that yes I will be getting a new slow cooker as soon as possible.

And they thanked me for my patience too.  LOL I thought that was quite ironic since I wasn't being very patient about it, however they could have thwarted my impatience by simply emaiing me when they were notified that the slow cooker was broken...AND if they had sent out the new slow cooker as soon as they knew the other one was broken...but alas...I had to make contact.

Finally Fedex tells me my replacement slow cooker is on it's way.  Of course the day it is due to arrive, I have a bazillion things planned, but I didn't want to miss the delivery...so I canceled those plans (no trip to the gym) and waited.

Fedex finally shows up at around noon!  and my slow cooker arrived in one piece...of course it was in a box large enough to ship a PERSON!  It's here and it looks fine...I've yet to clean and use it though...wish me luck!

Internet Safety

Darly is fast approaching the age where most social networks will allow her to have an account legally.  I know I'm a really mean mom for not allowing her to have an account early like so many folks that I know.  But then I see this article and feel justified in sticking to my guns.

So since Darly is almost old enough, I want to make sure she's smart enough. 

She seems to be.  My niece who is too young for an account and has one anyway recently posted this meme...
1. Who knows you best?
The message reads:
Can you do this? My middle name __________, my age ___, my favorite soda _______, my birthday ___/___/___, whose the love of my life ______, my best friend _____, my favorite color ______, my eye color _______, my hair color ______ my favorite food ________ and my mom's name __________. Put this as your status and see who knows you best.

Note:  I copied this from this Yahoo Article on Biggest Facebook Security Threats  I showed Darly the post and she rolled her eyes and was able to tell me why it's a bad idea.  I told my niece that she should pull it down, and niece said it wouldn't hurt anything because no one she knows would know all that info.  I told her that I knew all that info but I'm smart enough to not post it.  When I tried to go now to copy it from her wall I wasn't able to find it...so either she pulled it, or her parents did.  Whew!

A friend of mine set up a class on Internet Safety that we attended today.  The guy heading up the class has many different social network accounts and poses as young children to catch pedophiles.  He catches a lot, but there are a whole lot more that he can't catch.

He started off the class showing the kids just how easy it is for a predator to find kids.  Then he showed the kids how he catches them.

He gave tips on the dos and don'ts of internet safety...one huge tip was to not be online friends with anyone you haven't met.  (I guess that should knock out most of my blog readers!)  But it so totally makes a ton of good sense.

I guess the best part of the class was that Darly took it all very seriously.  She even reconsidered if she really needs to have a Facebook account.  I'll let her have an account, but I'll be keeping a close eye on it...and of course her first friend will be me.  I'll make sure her account is totally closed and I'll be a mean mom at every turn.

:( shoes

I have this one pair of shoes that I like to wear to Church.  They're black and very basic, but they go with everything and they are so comfortable. 

If you know one thing about me, it is that I am NOT a slave to fashion!  I don't care how in something is, if it isn't comfortable, then I ain't buying it...I learned my lesson a long time ago with the 2 hour shoes.  (btw: I tried to pawn the 2 hour shoes off on Darly cuz she's my size now, and even she wouldn't go for them!)

So my very comfortable shoes are of course now showing their age and are in need of replacement.  And of course they stopped making this shoe "eons" ago...so I've been searching for something close.  I figured first I would try with the same brand of shoes.  I have no idea where I bought these shoes, so I look them up by brand online.  They're Mushrooms btw.

I find the Mushroom shoes website.  They don't sell the shoes there.  You have to go to one of three retailers for them...One of the 3 I've never heard of.  The other two are Famous Footwear & Mervyn's.  And of course neither of them really carry the shoes either.

More Googling and I find that Kmart actually carries the brand, but of course not my shoe.  Bummer!  And when looking at what they do carry, the ones I might try...not my size!  Double Bummer!  My size only comes in barf or sandals.

I then started shopping around for other comfy shoes...I'm still looking.

In other news: I got an email that Darly had put something she wanted on my ebay watch list and the auction was almost over.  Instead of bidding on that I bought myself a slow cooker. :p

Wrong Mommy

has this ever happened to you?  You are in a location and some small child who is focused on other things (toys, animals at the zoo, etc...) grabs your leg and finally looks up in total shock because YOU are NOT their parent.

I've had this happened more times than I can remember.  It doesn't seem to matter what you say to the poor child...they are just horrified at the mistake.  The latest time I was shopping at some place with a friend and while looking at some items a mom with her 3 very young ones came near to look in the same section.  I did notice that one child was rather close to me but chose to not say anything...I probably should have though because next she hugged my leg and looked up to ask me a question.  Her real mom was only 2 feet away with the other kids.  But I kinda felt bad having to say to the child "sorry honey, wrong mommy."

Real mom looks over, smiles and holds out her arms for her baby to come running into.  I smile at mom and walk away.

I think the funniest time this happened was at a Girl Scout meeting.  Mom was with older kiddos and the youngest runs over to me, grabs my leg and hollers at me that she's ready to go home.  I look down and tell her she's got the wrong mommy and she recoils in horror.  poor kiddo.  Luckily for her I wasn't a stranger.  But it has happened several times with kids I don't know too.

Usually the only resemblance I have to real mommy is that I'm wearing the "mom uniform" jeans and shirt for the season.  but at knee height I'm the right looking mommy. ;o)  I wonder how long this will last?

Fiddler on the Roof Jr!

Darly's next play!  Come & see if you can! :D