This is my attempt at week one of 52 Weeks of Dishcloths. I honestly forgot I was doing this. WHAT is wrong with me??? HERE is where you can find the pattern. This would also make a great blanket.

52 weeks of dishcloths is a challenge to my head and I am thinking I will join in. I love the scrubbiness of the first cloth. Very basic if you want to try to make it!!! What color should I use??? Let me dig in my stash!!!

52 weeks of dishcloths

Have fun!!!

Missing Ricky

It has been 18 days now. My Brother was found dead in his home. My sadness is causing me to scrunch down in despair. I have been back home from a trip I was on during my loss for almost a week. I cannot shake it. I thought I would be ok and I would jump into some projects I have been planning. I haven't. I want to but I just cannot lift my self up. I will eventually. I know it but not today. I have great ideas. Maybe next week. My kitchen is a scary science experience at best and I need to get control of it. I need to sew, crochet and knit. 

Losing my brother struck me like the song saying: The day the music died. I know the title but that phrase makes me think of him. He was a genius at knowing not only who was singing, but also the words and album. He was a music freak and loved so many genres that I doubt he could choose just one, unless it be the Beatles. He loved them and I bet had all of their music. My big and only brother. Why did he have to leave us so soon?? I wasn't ready. We were best friends growing up and he knew how much I loved him and I know how much he loved me. He recently turned 55. He was getting to know Christ and the teachings again. We were baptized at the same time. He was a scrabble king. He had a photographic memory and could remember phone numbers like no other. He could also type 120 wpm when he was tested back in school. All of our common teachers adored him. I just disappointed them. It was ok. It was my brother. God I miss him and my heart is broken.

Rest in Peace James Richard Fortune. Our "Ricky". I love and adore you.

Found this craft on this blog today. I have been Gawkering today. O;) Petal Lamp I am thinking about what I want to petal up. I love it but I don't want to dust it...LOL I am lazy but I know it. This would be so pretty in so many ways.

I have been busy making curly scarves. The ones above are just 2 of the colors. My daughter has been selling them to help buy her pageant dress.I have been very busy. O;)

To Dad

I hope you can see
How they've grown up to be
The women you would beam about
Same ones you took out
Just Fishing.
Can You See?
Did I do OK? 
Do you see how hard
They work to achieve
Making us proud and
Making us believe?

Can You See?
Did I do OK?

Can You See?
Did I do OK?

Laziest Blogger out there

I don't know why I don't get over here and blog. Maybe I got bored with it, or I am sure I have nothing of value to say to the world. I do have things to show...LOL The purse above was just finished by me. It is crochet and I used a faux  cable design and made it bigger than my inspiration purse. I call my purse X's and Bows. The handles cross over making the X and you can see the bow. It is a dusty purple color and I wish I could have captured that in this picture. It is nice and thick and very sturdy. I lined it with a purple sparkle fabric. I absolutely love this purse. It is roomy and all my stuff fits in it just fine. I am guilty of carrying a lot of stuff...LOL  These are the ways I occupy my time. With pain being such a big deal these days, I have to do things that make me happy but don't compromise my aches. 
I am currently knitting a lace shoulder wrap. I am new to this and have gotten use to reading charts. I color coded my copy of the chart and I find it helps me more to have colors on it. Everything I learned about life, I learned in first grade. (I didn't get to attend a kindergarten. O:((( poor me.)
I am also designing a new project for a competition. I will let you know how that goes when I get it all done. 

UPDATE ON MY LAST POST!!!
I did clog up my floor cleaner by using my homemade mix. So here is my solution. I mix up my carpet cleaning solution and spray it on the carpet as I work the machine across the floor. Don't use anything in those cleaners except what they tell you to use or it voids your warranty. I managed to clean mine up and move along but I still think my mix is so awesome. My carpets look so nice after I clean them. With pets, I need all the help I can get.

CARPET CLEANING HOMEMADE

I have pets. I love my pets. I hate pet hair, stains and odors. I struggle just like anyone else to come to a happy meeting place. Today I worked on one problem area by cleaning up a pet stain. My dog is elderly and having issues with occasional carpet accidents. I wanted a non-toxic carpet cleaner that I could clean a tough stain and not kill us all with the fumes or chemicals I cannot pronounce. I turned to Pinterest. Yes I admit I have turned here often to get ideas. I take their suggestions to heart and I either put my own spin on it or make up my own way based on their ideas. I have often slipped up and made things just the way they tell me to...LOL!

I played around with ingredients until I got what I wanted. I want to share it with you. I did use one chemical that I have to say does not bother my allergies or my pets. It is OdoBan. I think it is a fresh clean scent and I don't mind using it. I mixed up the following:

1c OdoBan

1/4c baking soda

1/2c Hydrogen peroxide

2 T Dawn  (If you use this, you will need to rinse well..it kills fleas)

5 drops Lavender essential oil or to your liking

1c Orange Vinegar (Orange peels soaked in Vinegar for at least 2 days drained and strained) Sometimes mine goes longer as I am forgetful. LOL

I mixed everything but the baking soda (Please follow your manufacturer's directions because I may have gunked mine up with the baking soda my first time out. My man may be coming home to a cleaning project. *shrug*) {*sad face*} and used the mixture in my electric carpet cleaner. You can place in a spray bottle, spray carpet, let soak for a bit and then blot dry with a clean cloth. You can mix in the vinegar if you want to but I rinsed my floors with the orange vinegar to hopefully help discourage pet potty habits. (We shall see)

My house smells nice, my carpet is clean and I am one happy camper. Now if I could just get my man to clean the boxes more often. O:((( One problem at a time folks...one problem at a time. 


*****NOTE: I did gunk up my cleaner but was able to get it cleaned up and working again. So put it in a spray bottle and spray it ahead of the cleaner as you go. It is too good to not freshen up the carpets this way.