Caution: I Brake for Geocaches

Our big family vacation for this summer got cancelled, so I began looking for something we could do near home to make some memories with our children.  Little did I know that I would find a new obsession hobby.


I'd heard about geocaching at a 4-H workshop, but had never actually tried it.  GPS, coordinates, GPX files--it all sounded so... technical.  So I didn't really look into it. That is until I found out there was treasure educational experience involved.  I liked the fact that there was treasure it was an outdoors activity; anything to get treasure the kids outside and away from video games and facebook.  We'd get fresh air and sunshine, explore new places and did I mention find treasure. 

 The cache part of Geocaching are containers placed somewhere on the planet, usually interesting places or places with a great view, history, or personal significance.  The containers can be as large as an ammo box, small as a film canister (micro) or tinier than your little finger (nano).  Some containers are camoflaged as something else- a fake log, fake rock, even fake dog poo.  These containers all contain a log sheet for finders to fill out with date and their geocaching name and sometimes a brief comment.  Larger containers may also contain treasure- trinkets for trade.  The rule is: if you take something out, put something in of equal value.  Mostly they contain dollar store type items, but sometimes there are other things like CDs, T- shirts, etc.

Another thing you may find in a cache is a Trackable.  These might be special Geocoins or items attached to a Travel Bug.  These trackables have a number on them that is logged onto a website as the item is moved from cache to cache. My favorite things to find in a cache are Pathtags.  Pathtags are coins that people have had made up with their "cache name". They are the size of a quarter and have a hole in them.  These are collectible and tradeable.

So how do you find these caches? First you need to get a GPS unit, we had an old one (5 yrs old) that we used on our first trip.  It didn't work all that great. So we bought a new one that didn't work much better. We returned that and got another that works pretty good.  Read what others are using, before you buy one- a good unit can make a big difference when your in the trees or trying to download GPX files.  We ended up with a unit that supports "paperless geocaching".  This is a must-have in my opinion.  It downloads files from computer and all the info is stored in the unit. (our first trip, I wrote all the coordinates out by hand, plus the hints, type of container we were looking for--but i left out a lot of info that would have helped) Also when it is stored on the unit. It will list those caches that are closest to your present location. Trust me this is worth the extra $s.

Next you'll need to go to www.geocaching.com  There are over 4 million geocaches placed all over the world. A basic membership is free and all you need for your first trips.  But the premium membership is not expensive and well worth it for the added features.  You'll need a "cache name" for your account. This is the name you'll be known by in the geocaching world.  Some families choose a name like "TeamJones" , Our name is "ToadilyCool4Hs", that was the name of one of our clubs and since I have 4 children whose names all start with H and a lot of leftover frog stuff, its a good name.  The website is full of information and it is the place where you will log your finds. You can put in your zip code like i did and you'll be able to access a map showing the caches closest to you. Or along a trip route.

I have always loved historical novels. Jane Austen's Emma has been my favorite since I was 16.  During my 20's I loved what are called "bodice-rippers", especially those by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.  But as I grew in my spiritual faith, I gave up these books. Way too much sex for me.  I picked one up the other day and I have to wonder is it me or is every man in her books overly occupied by breasts. It was a shame really. The storyline was really good, but the explicitness ruined it for me.


I don't read too much fiction any more because my days are pretty busy.  About 2 years ago, I happened upon The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig

at Target when I was looking for something interesting to read.  The writing was very good and the story sounded interesting. A Harvard graduate student doing research on aristocratic spies in the time of Napolean stumbles upon an unknown spy and a love story while finding her own love story too.  By the time I finished it I was hooked and so pleased to find the sequal, The Masque of the Black Tulip at my local bookstore.

This book has been my favorite of the series. These books are so well written that it is hard to believe "The Pink Carnation is the first novel written by Lauren Willig.  I love the language--it's the sort of writing I would aspire to.  There is a lot of humor in these as well as unforgettable characters.  The leading man in the Black Tulip is Miles Dorrington, one of my top favorites for the Carnation men; now also my daughter's favorite too.  I picture him as a Brandon Fraser kind of guy. But I digress...

Other books in the series are The Deception of the Emerald Ring, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose, The Temptation of the Night Jasmine and the most recent (Feb 2010) The Betrayal of the Blood Lily.

There is a sex scene in each of the books but it is short about a page. Sorry if this offends but I tore out the page before letting my daughter read it. Personally I don't think the books needed this and it seems more out of merchandising concerns than necessary to the plot.  The most recent book, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily had 3 scenes I thought were a bit explicit. The most of any of the books.  I suppose because of the setting in India and this book seemed a bit darker. Although I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would, I am hoping this won't be a trend with future books in the series.  It is the richness of her writing, her humor and her relatable characters that keep me coming back to these books.   I am eagerly awaiting the October debut of the next installment.

The 333 Challenge and Capsule Wardrobe

Today, I am working on my 3 month, 33 item wardrobe plan. I want to have 4 wardrobe sets of about 33 items each. I'm using the capsule system and and it is working really well. The first step is to clear out what doesn't fit and isn't working. Then choose 2-3 neutral colors to become the base of your wardrobe and 1-2 colors for accents. Capsule #1 adds 3 pcs, capsule #2 adds 3 more and so on till you have 33 pieces. The rule is that each piece you add has to go with the other pieces. With 3 basic pieces, you have 3 outfits, add 3 more pieces and you have about 15 outfits, add 3 more pieces and yu have over 35 outfits (mixed, matched and layered).
The reason for 33 pieces is that I was inspired by the 333 project, a challenge to live with 33 pieces of clothing for 3 months. I have to say this has changed the way I look at my clothes and the way I shop. The benefits: Packing for travel is so easy. My closet has so much more room. When I shop I am looking for specific items in specific colors (a lot less impulse shopping). Thanks to Pinterest and some research on my body type, I know what styles I'm looking for. I don't mind splurging for a quality piece because I know it is going to work with what I already have. My jewelry and makeup are more streamlined too, I only keep out what works with my color scheme for that 3 months. Next year will be so easy because the work of putting together the capsules will be done and all I have to do is check fit and condition and shop for a few missing pieces. Best of all shopping is so much more fun because I can give myself permission to buy what I need - no guilt.
The hardest part is dealing with the variations in temperature in my neck of the woods. March-May the average temps range from 59-76 degrees and Sep-Nov from 81-58. Just a few days left on my first 3 months so I am reviewing what I've got and making notes for next year. I'm also going to put together what I have for my spring wardrobe and make a list of my needed items.
I really want to encourage you to take the 333 challenge, especially if you have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear like I did. I found Pinterest to be helpful in choosing styles and outfit sets that I like, a lot of the pins come from Polyvore.com, so check it out. Let me know if you take the challenge or if you try the capsule wardrobe plan.

October Decor

I've been seeing such wonderful posts on the blogs and Pinterest with Halloween decor. So I've done a little decorating of my own. With not much money and trying to do with what I have plus we really don't celebrate Halloween- I just wanted to have some fun. I try to use spiders, bats, black cats and such, rather than really creepy or gory things. I do have some ghosts that were just too darn cute, along with a corn husk witch thats also a cutie. My October decor is still a work in progress but here's what I have so far:[Image]I decided to use my old bottle collection on the dining room table. A creepy web thing from the dollar store was a perfect runner- I love the vintagy look. I added some little adhesive foam bats ($ store) that I bought last year to the chandy shades.
I simplified the mantle from last year. The printable was found on Pinterest. I didn't get the chance to paint the candelabras, couldn't decide between black and white. I also added 2 more blackbirds ($ store). The banner was a printable from last year. I'm still not happy with the mantle but it was fine for this year. The entry table is a nod to a potions table with jars, a spider, and some vintage stuff. Next year I hope to fill the jars with all kinds of wonderful things

Here is my countertop: where all the goodies should have been- again, next year I suppose.

At the end of the counter, a place setting for two:



I kept the coffee table simple so I could keep it through Thanksgiving. I wanted some Spanish moss under the pumpkins but didn't get into town.

Front Door: Saw this on one of the blogs. I used my large quilting hoop, painted black and a crochet shawl from the thrift store and a $ store spider. This is my favorite "new" decoration.

That's my October Decor, Thanks for looking!

My Harry Potter Dolls

I am learning to crochet- From a book I found at the library- Rowan Presents Crochet Workshop-

I have been substituting some of the projects for patterns I've found on the web- While searching I came across a couple of really cute Harry Potter dolls- So I decided to try my own- I purchased the basic people pattern from Sherri Crochets http://http//sherricrochets.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=14_21-- I started with a Snape doll because his outfit looked the easiest to recreate--
My second doll has been waiting for a hairdo and she has finally been finished-
My Third doll is McGonagall- I found a pattern for her skirt on Crochet Pattern Central http://http//www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory.php-- And winged it on her coat and hat-

My son has been making wands for me, from toothpicks and sharpie markers- My next dolls will be the Students of Hogwarts-

thanks for looking--

Linking up to-Naptime Crafters,

Vintage Suitcase Repurposed

For years I have used vintage suitcases to store items like computer disks and manuals, business items, my vintage Barbie collection and various craft projects, I've also used them to display items in my flea market booth- So it was a no-brainer that I was going to purchase this cute cosmetic case for under $2-

I've been seeing these suitcases relined and made into portable craft tool chests, so I knew this would be a great carrier for my crochet tools (my lastest obsession)- My thanks to Bitter Betty for her tutorial-
First I tore out the lid lining and used it as a template for the new fabric-

I also made a paper bag template of the top and used it to cut a piece of foamcore board- Then I laid out my hooks and things on  the fabric to get my layout- I drew two lines where I wanted to put elastic to hold my hooks-

I am trying to use things I already have for my craft projects- This fabric (thrift store purchase) was in my stash, the leftovers from someone's project-  I had some tiny elastic and red seam binding so I folded the binding in half and with the elastic inside, stitched the binding together stretching the elastic as I went- I hand stitched this covered elastic to the fabric tacking it down to leave spaces for the hooks- I marked where I needed holes for the scissor ribbon by laying the fabric on top of the foamcore board and using a crochet hook pressed in the right spots made little divots in foamcore-  I used my big Bite Crop-a-dial to make the holes-

For the needleholder, I made a crochet heart from this tutorial:

It is hand tacked into place and the fabric is glued to foamcore board with spray adhesive- The edges were hot glued, the corners were tabbed and hot glued, then I added seam binding trim to finish the edge-
The bottom is done in the same way, except that I cut out the side piece and folded and stitched one edge to finish it and stitched the seam binding to the top edge to finish it- I was fortunate that the locking mechanisms hardware came off easily- As I glued the sides on I cut slits for the locking mechanism hardware-
Every case is different and this one had a flap in the back, which I wasn't going to replace until I found that one of the hinges was broken and the flap helped stabilize the top of the case- I used a cereal box to back the fabric which is stitched on and then the whole piece is hot glued to the suitcase- Here is the finished case-

Things I wish I had done:  although I marked the straight lines for the covered elastic I didn't follow them very well and they are crooked- Also I should have made tack marks so they would be even on both strips- Once I started adding the hooks it became clear that there wasn't enough room on the lid to fit the larger hooks into both the elastic strips- right now they sit in one strip just fine, if I were to do it again, I would make a pocket for the hooks and stitch that in place instead of the elastic-
I plan to make a tag for my addy and ph # for the handle and some kind of decorative technique on the outside, for now: this will hold my current project work--
Linked to trash2treasures,Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, Under $100, Hookin up with HoH,Make it Yours, Transformation Thursday

Bedroom lamp redo

On one of my thrift store outings I found this wonderful globe lamp. I pounced on it even though it was missing its glass top.  The beautiful swirl bottom is what I loved and a bonus, it lights up as a nightlight, very romantic!  On another trip I spotted a top that might just fit-for $2.50.  I wasn't sure it would fit so I passed it by.  Two months later, the same top was marked .25 cents- now we're talking. This particular store is on two levels-while I was trying to get my stuff to the top level-where the cash registers are- I broke the top (part of me wanted to cry).  I took the top anyway since I needed to see if it was right for the lamp.  It was perfect--(Now I really wanted to cry). 

I pieced the broken pieces back together as best I could. you can barely make out the top in this photo.

But there were pieces missing so... Mod Podge to the rescue!  I tore some pages out of my craft copy of Pride & Predjudice and Mod Podged them onto the globe. I love the way it looks in low light, in fact I hardly use the globe night light on the bottom now.  One of these days I'll run into another top for this, but for now I'm lovin' it.